DRGN SOUL
by Infernokota
Summary: Beacon; the legendary huntsman academy where eight young warriors stand to begin their journey as guardians of the world, shepherds of a hard-fought peace. Before they will reach their goals, however, they will face ever-mounting odds, as darkness looms closer and closer. But perhaps victory is in the smaller things; things like hope- and unity. (Currently: Volume 4, Chapter 1)
1. Volume 1, Chapter 1: Dragon Soul

**Volume 1, Chapter 1: Dragon Soul**

* * *

 _"Legends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past. Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness- creatures of destruction- the creatures of Grimm- set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void. However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named 'Dust'. Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return. So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called 'free world', but take heed... there will be no victory in strength."_

* * *

Daria Copper stared out of the window of the transport ship with wide, dark brown eyes, hand pressed against the glass as she watched the transit station disappear under the cloud cover. She was short, especially so for her age; short dark hair fell passed her ears, done in a pseudo-pixie cut. She was darker skinned, a smattering of dark freckles spread out over her nose and cheeks.

She was dressed in an armored white dress, her skirt tapering out from her hip down so that it only covered one of her legs; a high collar shot up from the neck of the dress. Silver pauldrons, long boots and gloves covered the rest of her form.

The young huntress stepped away from the window, clutching her ring blades to her chest, anxiety and excitement bubbling inside her. The blades were gleaming silver, small bits of technology lining the sides and the handles. Etched into the tops of the blades themselves were the words 'Infinitas'. She sent a nervous look around at her peers, taking in deliberately measured breaths.

" _The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you, Lisa_." A voice droned from one of the flat screens against a wall.

* * *

Shinai Kyani leaned against the wall, eyes closed as breathed in rhythmically, chest rising and falling calmly despite the hubbub of his fellow huntsmen around him, his hand idly falling onto the handle of his sword, fingers rubbing against it.

He was dressed in a loose dark shirt and dark hakama pants; over the shirt was a dark purple breastplate, glowing peacefully with purple lights that extended up his right arm and then down to his right above his elbow, letting a poof of his dark shirt show. His right hand was similarly armored; his left was wrapped in dark tape, loose sleeve hanging over his pale skin, swaying slightly in the breeze of the ship's air conditioning.

The samurai's face belied his youth, though it was masked well by the long scar rising from his jawline towards the corner of his left eye. His dark hair was cut short and combed to the side, almost more to have it out of the way than anything else, the sides and back buzzed.

" _Thank you, Cyril. In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Civil Rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organization has now disrupted..."_

He continued to run his armored glove over his katana's handle and sheath, tracing the silver inscription inlaid into the material.

* * *

Daria sighed as she sat down, fighting off the urge to curl her legs into herself as she breathed in and out, clipping her blades onto her belt and letting them hang idly. She stared off into the distance, simply focusing on... well, focusing on nothing at all, anxiety begging for the ride to come to an end sooner rather than later.

"Well, hello there."

She slowly drew her gaze from the floor to meet the voice. "Hello?"

The boy was swaying slightly, blinking blue, hazy eyes quickly as he fought down a rising tide of nausea, sun-tanned skin sickly pale as he fought to not upchuck on the spot. He was tall, golden hair combed neatly backwards gleaming brightly in the gentle light of the ship. He was dressed in a loose red robe, golden shoulder pads matching the golden lining of the coat, worn over poofy grey pants that tucked into thick, dark boots. The wrists of the robe were strapped down tight against his wrists, and a pair of belts held the coat closed at his waist; lining the belts were a cavalcade of large, blue shotgun-like shells, pulsing with electronic light. Strapped to his back was an absolutely hulking greatsword, concealed in a brown, leather sheathe, its handle sticking out over his shoulder. Hidden as it was, Daria could still see the wicked curve at its tip, nearly brushing against the floor.

Most annoyingly, though, he was bare-chested, baring admittedly well toned muscles to the world.

Despite the bravado that emanated from his appearance, he seemed dead on his feet, looking ready to drop at any moment.

She frowned in concern, rising to her feet and outstretching her hands to steady him if need be. "Are you... okay, dude?"

He swallowed hard, taking several deep breaths in as he straightened up, nodding. "Y...ep. Yep. I'm good. Never been better. A-o...k. Yep. No need to worry about me."

"Uh... huh."

He grinned despite himself. "Lance Zaffre."

Her frown didn't drop. "...Daria. Are you sure you're alright?"

" _That_ is a pretty name."

"...Uh... huh."

"I'm totally alright. 'Sides- I'm never too sick to make new friends."

"That's..."

Daria cut herself off as a hologram suddenly appeared next to the duo.

The woman standing there was older, in her thirties or forties, glowing blue as she looked out over the students. Glasses sat on her head and her blonde hair was pulled into a neat bun. Her outfit consisted of a white dress shirt and black pants, a small black and purple cape on her back.

"Hello and welcome to Beacon," The hologram said, voice echoing across the interior of the ship as several different constructs popped up. "I am Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." And without another word, the woman disappeared.

Right on cue, the transport ship broke through the cloud cover- revealing Beacon Academy. The school's campus was enormous and sprawling, just under half as wide as the nearby town of Vale itself. The buildings were hulking, dozens of them encapsuled in the academy's high, pristine, white walls. Most impressive of all, though- was the CCT skyscraper of a tower, standing far, far above the tops of the other buildings, an enormous clock ticking away as it stared over the school.

Lance blinked repeatedly as he watched it come into view, before pointing to Daria. "Dibs on the short one." He called out to no one in particular.

* * *

Shinai frowned slightly and peered over his shoulder at the sound of someone groaning and lurching behind him, adjusting his katana as he shook his head. "Children." He muttered, slightly disbelievingly.

A blonde boy was hunched over, vomiting into a small trash can, gloved hands holding onto its rim tightly as he emptied the contents of his stomach. He was tall and thin, white armor worn over an orange hoodie. Other than that, however he was dressed simply in a pair of jeans and sneakers.

Next to him, a short, pale girl with dark hair, looking much more prepared for their duties as huntsmen, was blinking owlishly. "Yang, you've got puke on your shoe."

Next to her, a taller, blonde girl, nearly as tall as Shinai himself, slowly turned lilac eyes downwards to her boot. "Oh, gross, gross, gross, gross, _gross, gross_!"

The boy blinked unfocused eyes as he looked up to the girls. The former's silver eyes went wide as she held up her hands. "Get-get away! Get away from me! Get away! Get away! Get away! Get away!"

Shinai sighed and turned away, pushing the encounter to the back of his mind, shaking his head. He turned purple eyes to the roof of the ship, looking for some sort of cosmic guidance.

Finally, the pilot came over the intercom, voice delightfully chipper. "We will be landing in a few moments. We hope you enjoyed your flight."

"Screw off." A voice spat.

The samurai turned his gaze to the voice; a blonde teen, Lance was walking towards the exit somewhat unsteadily, still looking incredibly sick, and still trying his hardest to not let it show as he talked to Daria beside him. The girl, to her credit, was nodding along absent-mindedly, not quite reacting as they left the ship.

Shinai stepped out onto the concrete pavement of Beacon's entrance, sending a curious look around; the campus was filled with buildings, stretching several stories above him and lending their own aura to the regality the school itself exuded, stone pathways winding through the grounds, grand columns dotting the landscape. Beacon's tower was even more imposing now, seeming to touch the sky from where the students stood.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?"

The samurai turned to the drawling voice with an unimpressed, raised eyebrow.

The girl standing there was shorter than him, tan skin striking against the verdant green of her eyes and the shocking, dark red hair that fell loosely behind her. Her head was topped with a wide cowboy- or, cowgirl- hat, dark aviator sunglasses perched on her face. A dark brown duster covered her form, golden swirls lining the coat, shifting with a much lighter fabric. A bandanna hung loosely around her neck and fingerless gloved hands tapped at her crossed arms. She reached up and slid the glasses down to the tip of her nose, smirking and looking the samurai up and down.

"Oracle." She offered, extending her hand.

"...Kyani, Shinai." The samurai said slowly, taking the limb and shaking it hesitantly, before bringing his own hand back to rest on its perch atop his katana's handle.

"Fancy name, hon. You from around here?"

"...You could say that.

Oracle grinned. "Tall, dark, and mysterious. I like it."

Shinai watched her for another moment, before sighing, turning on his heel to march towards the school. Oracle's grin didn't drop, hands reaching up to rest on the back of her head as she nonchalantly followed the huntsman.

* * *

Daria sighed. "Listen, guy-"

"Lance." The swordsman offered, not looking particularly plussed.

"Lance. This has been great and all, but... I've gotta…"

"Oh, come on. Don't leave me out to dry. Way I see it- you're, at the moment, alone. I'm, at the moment, alone. Hey, who knows; we might even be on the same team."

"You're... not really getting this," His eyes unfocused and he swayed, the shorter girl steadying him for a moment as he shook his head. "Listen, I'm... just gonna... leave you here..." She led him over to one of the grand fountains littering the school, helping him sit.

"Really, I'm fine," He protested. "I've been talking with you fine this far, haven't I?"

She rolled her eyes. "Sure you have."

"If I may?"

Both teens' attention shot to the side.

Standing a few feet away, leaning against a tree and looking absolutely thrilled with what he was seeing, was a tanned skinned boy. His head was wreathed with silver, unkempt hair; pale yellow eyes stared back at the them humorously. He was dressed in a white tracksuit, jacket and pants, red lines running down the sides of his arms and legs. His right leg sleeve, though, was rolled up; revealing a gleaming silver leg, its form broken up into an array of plates, gears, and axels, tapering down into a set of wolf's claws at the foot.

Even more strikingly than that, though; a silver tail wagged lazily behind him.

He chuckled as he caught their gazes reaching his tail, stepping out into the sunlight with a lazy gait. "Rainier Platina of Vacuo, son of Leonardo and Camilla Platina. Proud card carrying member of the faunus race. At your service," He spoke in a lilting, cultured accent, and gave a flamboyant bow to the duo. "Your friend-" Said friend was glaring daggers at the faunus. "Seems to be suffering quite harshly from motion sickness, perhaps gained from the flight over, no? I'd recommend drinking from the fountain behind you, if you hadn't already thought about it. I hear that it is quite fresh _and_ refreshing."

Lance stared at him for a few moments suspiciously, before slowly turning to the inviting waters of the fountain, his jaw trembling as he weighed the pros and cons of taking the advice. Finally, he sighed, leaning down and cupping the cool water in his hands, sipping at it joyously.

"I'm Daria." The girl greeted, extending a hand.

Rainier took the hand and bowed low again, giving it a chaste kiss. "Dearest Daria... yes, I quite like the ring to it," She sighed in an unimpressed manner- he, however, caught the look and grinned apologetically. "I mean no offense, my dear. It is simply my nature, yes?" Slowly, his gaze turned to the blonde huntsman. "Ah, he on the other hand. I had suspected he was bothering you, no? The oldest trick in the book, I'm afraid- the pigeon defecation filled water. Never fails to scare off unsuspecting suitors, I might add. Perhaps a tool to add to your arsenal?"

Lance ripped his head from the fountain, spitting what liquid he had drank out onto the concrete. "Seriously?! _Seriously_?!"

"You seem a student of the game, my friend. I had figured that it would be common knowledge of how annoyances could be dealt with... relatively harmlessly.

Daria stifled a laugh, pressing a fist against her mouth, shaking her head as he gave her a sidelong, charming grin. Lance, for his part, rose to his feet, shaking his hands off as he cursed under his breath. "Listen, wolf, if it wasn't-"

"He's lying."

The trio looked to the side.

A girl stood somewhat stiffly, eyes cast down at the ground as she refused to meet their gazes. She was tall and dark skinned, poofy, curly hair pulled into a ponytail, running down her back. She was dressed in a mostly dark blue outfit; a tank top, fingerless gloves, baggy pants, and mechanical boots. A small pouch hung on her belt.

She fidgeted. "There- there, well, um- the woman- Glynda- Ms. Goodwitch, she, um, keeps everything really clean."

Rainier hummed thoughtfully, shrugging. "Oh well. No harm no foul, my friend.

Lance scowled. "Zero to pissed in a minute, man you've got talent."

Daria rolled her eyes and turned back to the blue stranger. "Thanks for the heads up."

The tall teen shrugged slightly, blushing fiercely. "…N-No problem." She turned and walked away quickly, a book held tightly in her hands.

* * *

Shinai looked around the massive auditorium, purple eyes taking in the other first-years students of the school as they slowly began to fill in alongside him- some gave him a wide-berth, others still sent shocked, wide-eyed looks his way. He ignored them no matter what, adjusting his katana's sheathe as he waited patiently.

"Nice sword. Where'd you get it?" Oracle asked.

"You insist." The samurai said with a sigh.

She winked, sunglasses tucked into the collar of her shirt. "You betcha, hon. So, any cool story with the sword, or..."

Shinai sighed again and shook his head. "I made it."

"Made what?"

"The sword. It's tradition at my temple to forge your own weapons from scratch."

"Oh! You... forged it? Oookay… That's a little... primitive, ain't it?"

Finally, a scowl broke his face. "Don't. Call it. Primitive."

Oracle held her hands up. "Woah, boss. No need to get uppity. It... that means a lot to you, don't it?"

"…It's… personal." He muttered after a long moment of silence, hard purple eyes locking themselves back onto the stage

Oracle went quiet for a moment. "...Sorry. Didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."

His silence was answer enough for her.

* * *

Daria stepped carefully into the auditorium, Rainier and Lance in tow, a teacher standing by the door ushering any student within his line of sight to follow suit; the room had reached fairly packed status, the students milling about and making introductions with one or another, or simply reconciling with old friends, a low murmur filling the room as they all waited patiently.

Lance made a face at the back of the teacher. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it." He muttered.

Daria raised an eyebrow. "You two don't have to follow me. Seriously. Really, really."

The blonde swordsman grinned dashingly, full exuberance on display as he was fully refreshed. "You're enjoying it. I know you are. Don't worry, you get used to it eventually."

"If I may intercede, our dearest Daria appears to be preparing to rip your face off, sir." Rainier added, raising dark silver eyebrows in silent warning.

Lance scowled. "I do _not_ like you."

Rainier shrugged. "If you feel intimidated by my presence, then you are more than welcome to walk away."

"Boys, boys, you're both... just..."

"Handsome?" Lance offered.

"Charming?"

"Just... really in my space at the moment."

Rainier bowed slightly and held his arms off to the side. "Very well, Dearest Daria. I'll leave you be. Zaffre." With another bow, the faunus backed away, disappearing into the crowd of students, presumably in search of someone else to charm.

Lance watched him go, shrugging. "His loss."

The diminutive huntress sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "...At least you take people's attention off of me."

He winked again and smirked brightly, as if just to prove her point.

The duo went quiet, much like the crowd itself as two people walked onto the stage confidently. One was Glynda Goodwitch- the other was a man with small, dark glasses, a dark suit and a green scarf wrapped around his neck, cane held in his hands as he looked out with warm brown eyes peeking out under silver hair at the students.

"I'll keep this brief," The man said, fiddling with the microphone in front of him. "My name is Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all is see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction," The crowd murmured in distaste at the comment. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." Ozpin finished before walking backstage.

Glynda walked up to the microphone and finished shortly: "You will gather in the ballroom tonight as your lodgings. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." She followed Ozpin.

Daria and Lance shared a look.

The former frowned. "What does that even mean?"

* * *

The ballroom was a giddy ball of energy, as the first year students shuffled about, half confidently, and half seemingly deathly afraid. The ballroom, as massive as it was, held the entire class comfortably, even as the dozens of teens lazed about, the grand windows hanging high above them dark with the night sky, dozens of candles lighting the room up warmly.

Shinai sat in the corner of ballroom, dressed in loose fitting, dark gi, legs crossed beneath him and his belongings folded neatly to his side. He breathed in and out and as zoned his peers out, finding zen and quiet in his meditation.

"You mind, hon?"

The samurai's face fell in minor irritation as he opened his eyes. "Oracle."

The aforementioned cowgirl sat next to him, dressed comfortably in a tank top and sweats, hair pulled up in a messy bun. She gave him a lopsided grin. "One and the same, partner. Not gonna lie. Never thought I'd see the day the teachers would just willingly let a co-ed dorm be this open. No shame, no shame," He didn't react, closing his eyes again. "Not much of a joker, are ya?"

"Hm."

"No doubt I can talk enough for the both of us."

"So you've shown."

"C'mon, no need to be so cold, hon."

The samurai turned now definitely irritated eyes to Oracle. "You continue to talk to me because of my physical appearance. There's nothing about me other than that that you've bothered to learn in our entire day together. Why should I give you a second thought when obviously your entire intention in talking to me is superficial."

She stared at him, leaning back slightly. "Well... you coulda just asked me to go away."

"What about him, hm? I think he fulfills the... 'dark and broody' template you seem so attracted to." Shinai muttered, turning his purple gaze down the wall a-ways.

Oracle followed his gaze, before shuddering. "Listen... maybe we got off on the wrong foot. See, you clearly haven't learned a thing about me either. That guy? Next level creepy. Too much for this girl."

The teen in question was tall, much taller than most of the other students there, if not all of them, and covered in well-toned muscle. Three vivid scars marked his right cheek, marring his visage and making him look much older than he most definitely was. He was at the moment dressed in a tank top and basketball shorts, and was currently trying to sleep fitfully, a scowl permanently planted on his face as he seemed to seethe under the hubbub of his fellow students.

She shook her head. "Yeah, no. I'll pass, hon, but thanks."

Shinai sighed. "Then at least let be quiet."

"That, I can do. For a minute."

* * *

Daria lay against her bedroll, staring at the ceiling as she flipped through the playlist on her music player, earbuds planted into her ears. She was dressed in short-shorts and a far too large tee-shirt, nodding her head along to the song currently playing-

Before one of the earbuds disappeared, the sound of the ballroom coming back to life.

"May I join you?" Rainier asked, staring curiously at her, earbud held in hand.

She stared at him in mild shock and... a modicum of impressment, eyebrows raising to her hairline. "...Sure. Knock yourself out. You're already here."

The faunus stretched out and groaned in relief, lounging beside her as he set a personal candle down. "My friend, you would not believe the day I have had,"

"I can imagine," She muttered disinterestedly.

"In my homeland, a man- or woman's- worth is based upon, well, their worth to the community. The idea of discrimination based upon race is... usually, at least, silly. Here though..." He sighed. "Oh well."

"I... I'm sorry you have to deal with it."

He shrugged. "It's no concern. I've dealt with far worse in my life than some little verbal jabs. I'd engage in a battle of wits with them, but it appears most are already unarmed."

She let out a small laugh, shaking her head as she pulled her other earbud out.

"Besides," He continued. "Despite your continued obvious disinterest in myself and the swordsman, there is something so... magnetic, I suppose, about you. I can't quite seem to walk away."

"Really?" She asked in genuine confusion.

"Absolutely. You have a certain… hm… _appeal_ , I suppose about you, far more intrinsic than even your beauty. It's absolutely curious."

She blushed and ducked her head. "I'm… uh, not that appealing."

"But that is something I cannot figure out: you're intelligent and witty, and attractive, and at the very least a competent enough huntress to reach Beacon Academy- and yet, you are so... unconfident in yourself. Baffling."

"Now you're just flattering me, and that's not gonna work, buster."

He grinned broadly. "One can never flatter his friends enough, as a general rule of thumb. For instance- myself. I don't pretend to be something I'm not. A faunus? I wear it with pride. My leg? Well... it wasn't always so on the nose with its imagery. It was once just a normal, mechanical prosthetic. I made the decision to shape it into paws. Like that boy over there. Do you see him?"

The diminutive huntress turned away from her quickly-warming-up-to acquaintance to the crowd of students; lo and behold, she absolutely could see who he was talking about. He was incredibly young looking, and short, at least as short as her. Despite that, though, he was lounging on an enormous mech, red in paint and armored to the fringes, the head of it placed onto the floor. The boy easily fit on the shoulder span of it. "Oh, wow." She breathed in awe at the construct.

"See? We are all our own unique variations in this life. I'd suggest you find what makes you unique. But I've rambled at you enough for one day. I've not doubt our benevolent headmaster has nothing but joyousness planned for tomorrow. Just in case, though, I believe I will call it a night here," He winked at her as he lay down on his own pillow, blowing out his candle. "Just in case."

Daria watched him for a moment as his breathing slowed to a rhythmic rise and fall, before laying back down herself, replacing her earbuds into her ears. "Night then, Rainier."

* * *

"Sleep tight."

* * *

 **Disclaimer: RWBY, its associated products, characters, and songs all belong to Rooster Teeth and Jeff Williams respectively. Seriously. Go see their stuffs before coming here. Honestly, it doesn't make any sense to do it otherwise. Unless you just really like my writing style and are from another story. Then, uh? Welcome? To the weebiest thing I'll ever write? Oh well. Support the official release.**

 **Hellooooo people of the interwebs! It's ya boy, Infernokota here with something that I've been working on for a while now, and I'm really proud of. Legitimately, this may be my most favorite thing I've ever written.**

 **The premise is simple: Team RWBY are the main characters. They run this show. JNPR come in second because Pyrrha and Jaune. The new teams are simply... support characters that have the spotlight. Which is redundant. Point being, they're just here for the ride. It'll... make sense shortly. But, I try to keep relatively close to the show in terms of themes, mood, style, charm, etc etc. I don't intend to copy word for word, scene for scene of the show, but, again, my (and my partner in crime Krieg's) boys and girls are just here for the ride. Honestly, if you've seen the show, you should know what to expect. If you haven't well... go watch the show and you'll know what to expect.**

 **All concept arts for the main characters can be found on my twitter, Infernokota! Hopefully, here soon, I'll compile them in a neat little Moment, but we'll see. And, eventually, they'll also find their way to my Tumblr, though I'm not very active on there, but oh well!**

 **Before I sign off, I'd like to say: Thank you Monty. I didn't know you, but you brought such joy to mine and many others' lives, and I wish I had had the opportunity to meet you. This story goes out to you. I hope it'll be something you would've been proud of.**

 **-Infernokota**


	2. Chapter 2: Of Monsters and Demons

**Chapter 2: Of Monsters and Demons**

* * *

Shinai sighed as he stepped forwards, purple eyes filled with quiet irritation, put out by the relative lack of sleep he managed to get the night prior, armored boots clunking against the tile floor of the locker room, barely audible over the raucous sound of the mob of students already occupying the room, said space near to capacity, milling about excitedly. The samurai stared down at the slip of paper held in his hands, a number and passcode printed neatly onto its surface.

"NO! Nonononono! There's not enough room!"

The eyes of the denizens closest to the door turned to it curiously, peeking around corners and the columns that dotted the room. Standing, looking panicked, was the teacher currently overseeing the students, her arms held up and waving side to side as she attempted to ward off whatever was coming in.

The question was answered quickly as the glint of dull red armor shone in the gap- the boy and his mech suit were currently leaning down to enter the already crowded room, uncaring of how much space it would be taking up.

"Then. Make. Room." The mech growled out, voice deep and distorted.

Shinai didn't give much mind to the situation, striding across the locker room to his designated space. He tapped a his code into the keypad, getting a satisfying 'beep' in return as its metal door sprung open (the locker itself as tall as he was). The samurai nodded to himself, taking a mental note of its positioning before letting the door swing back shut.

Oracle grinned at him, leaning against the wall next to his locker, formerly totally obscured by its door. She twirled her sunglasses around one finger, green eyes watching him carefully. Shinai stared back at her silently, an eyebrow raised in silent question.

"Alright, samurai. Hear me out,"

"If you have to say 'hear me out' then I already don't want to hear you out."

She opened her mouth to rebuke him when-

"Yeah, it's like if you say 'no offense, but-', like, I'm already offended." The tall blonde who had her boot thrown up on, Yang, weighed in, leaning towards the duo.

"Hey, stuff it, bimbo," Oracle shot back, green eyes challenging. "I thought you were too busy babysittin' little Rubes to play with the big girls?"

"I could ask the same, you country hick, only I know you don't have anybody that likes you enough to babysit them."

The two glared at each other for a moment- before their eyes brightened. The girls embraced.

"Long time no see, cowboy." Yang laughed, throwing an arm around the gunslinger's shoulder.

"Right back atcha, party girl."

Shinai didn't look impressed, turning to walk away. Oracle sighed and stepped quickly to him. "NO, wait! I was gonna say- listen... I... heard some rumors. Some good, some bad. Mostly that our teams are being selected today. So..."

"An alliance." The samurai guessed.

"Bingo."

He watched her for a moment, before shaking her head. "I make no promises."

Yang shrugged. "The less promises you make now, the less you have to apologize for later."

Oracle seethed in her direction, wide green eyes warning her. "I'm just sayin', darlin-"

Shinai was already walking away, giving her a non-committed 'hmph' before disappearing around the corner, his katana held tightly in hand.

The gunslinger watched him go before punching Yang's shoulder. "Who do you think you are?"

The blonde huntress held her hands up, looking none-too-shameful. "Hey, it's my job to check your ego at the door."

"Not co..." She growled. "Fine, darlin'. Where is your sister anyhow?"

"She's over here- oh, she would love to see you again! C'mon, let's gooo!" Without another word, Yang grabbed Oracle's arm and bodily dragged her away, pushing through the crowd of students with remarkable ease.

* * *

Daria leaned against her locker, staring out at the diminishing group of people filling the locker room blankly (the boy and his mech marching through more than likely having a great deal to do with it), spinning a ring blade around her finger reflexively as she waited for... well... she wasn't really sure what she was waiting for.

Her anxious reverie didn't last long though, as a crystal clear, and starkly familiar voice cut through the din.

"Daria? Daria Copper?"

The short teen turned to the voice, her eyes widening in shock. The woman was tall, with fair skin. Her red hair was pulled into a tall ponytail, a golden crown sitting on her head. She was clad in a strapless leather tunic, a short, red skirt, thigh-high gold and bronze boots, and elbow length black gloves; sparse golden armor ran across her form, more aesthetic than purposeful. A golden choker reaching from under her jaw to her clavicle clad her throat.

"Oh my gods, Pyrrha- it's- ahuh!" Daria trailed off awkwardly, a deep blush finding its way to her face, simultaneously fighting to meet the taller huntress' gaze, and avoid it.

Pyrrha put her a hand up, smiling. "You're alright, Daria. I wasn't aware that you were attending Beacon."

"Nope, yep, that's me... attending Beacon... just like you are... y'know, didn't really think to mention it on my way out of Sanctum, because... yep. You're so much more popular than I am.

Pyrrha's smile thinned slightly. "I'm... sorry if you felt that way. I had always thought we were close friends."

Daria's blush deepened, though now in embarrassment, and she sucked a breath in, holding it stubbornly as she nodded shortly, refusing to talk.

The red-headed huntress moved to speak again, when a new voice cut in.

"Well, well, well, Ms. Nikos,"

Daria turned to the new voice. It was a slight, pale girl, a stark white ponytail trailing down her back, and eyes a startlingly pale shade of blue, nearly white. A scar ran down her left eye, carving through her brow and down towards her cheekbone. She was wearing a white jacket, a white dress with a short skirt, and white, heeled boots, the tops coming up to right beneath her calves.

She stood tall next to Nikos, despite the height discrepancy, angular chin held proudly high in the air.. "Pyrrha, have you put any thought into whose team you'd like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself!"

Pyrrha hummed, looking from her old classmate to the new girl. "...I'm not quite sure. Truthfully, I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may."

The girl shifted on her feet, eyeing the warrior carefully. "Well, I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together."

"Well, that sounds great, Weiss."

The aforementioned Weiss grinned maliciously, turning away from the two Sanctum graduates, tapping her fingers together as she inwardly plotted a plan. "Great!"

"You know what else is great? Me. Jaune Arc," The boy from the transport ship, the one who had thrown up onto Yang's boot, gave a painful attempt at a flourishing bow. "Nice to meet you."

The pale huntress' face fell into a scowl. "You again?"

Pyrrha leaned out from behind Weiss, waving to the blonde hunter. "Nice to meet you, Jaune."

Jaune nodded absentmindedly. "Mmhm, yeah, yeah," He pushed Pyrrha aside, posing next to Weiss. "So, Weiss, couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me."

"Don't worry! No need to be embarrassed! So, been hearing rumors about teams. I was thinking you and me would make a good one. What do you say?"

Pyrrha leaned back around Jaune, raising her hand slightly. "Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so-"

The blonde swordsman turned from Weiss to the redheaded huntress. "You don't say? Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team."

The shorter huntress stepped between them, delicate eyebrow raised in irritation. "Jaune, you said? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

"Not in the slightest, snow angel."

"This is Pyrrha."

The aforementioned girl waved amiably at Jaune again. "Hello again!"

"Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum!" Weiss finished.

"Never heard of it." Jaune said.

"She's won the Mistral Region Tournament four years in a row! A new record!"

"The what now?"

"She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!"

Jaune gasped dramatically. "That's you?! But they only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"

Pyrrha shrugged. "Yeah, it was pretty cool. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you."

Weiss stepped between the two again. "So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you're in a position to ask her to be on your team?"

Jaune hung his head. "I… guess not… sorry."

Nikos tilted her head. "Actually, Jaune, I think you'd make a great leader."

Arc's head snapped back to attention, and he waved her off bashfully. "D'oh, stop it."

"Seriously," Weiss said. "Please stop it. This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!"

Jaune grinned cockily. "Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick! Now, I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings, find a place for you. What do you say?" He leaned towards Weiss.

"Truly, a mark on charming kind, yes?" A new voice cut in. Daria blinked in mild shock as she zoned back into the conversation, looking over her shoulder-

To where Rainier was standing between her and Pyrrha, arms thrown casually over the huntress' shoulders. Daria's eyes lit up in recognition, while Pyrrha cocked her head to the side curiously.

Weiss frowned in distaste, leaning back to get a better look at him- before her eyes reached his lazily wagging tail, a slight scowl finding its way to her delicate features. "And can we _help you?_ "

Rainier caught the look, pale yellow eyes darkening in irritation- before brightening in recognition. He stepped back, giving a dramatic bow, one hand folded in front of him as the other extended to the side. "Rainier Platina of Vacuo, formerly of Oasis Academy, son of Leonardo and Camilla Platina, brother to the White Wolf of Vacuo. How do you do?"

The pale huntress' scowl slowly faded as he prattled on, leaning back again, looking his form up and down with newfound interest, almost reassessing him. "Oh. Well," She cleared her throat, straightening up formally. " _I_ am Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy repellant on Remnant." She gave him a slight curtsy back.

"Oh, I know," He smiled at her. "My family bought from yours, once upon a time."

She blinked in surprise. "Oh! Well- of course, if your family had the sense to do so."

His smile didn't fade, head cocking to the side slightly. "... _Once upon a time_ ," He didn't give her a chance to react before turning his attention back to Daria and Pyrrha. "My, my! It's a fine day, full of opportunity!"

Jaune blinked at him. "I'm... lost. Who are you, exactly?"

With surprising speed, the faunus was to the blonde swordsman's side quickly, arm thrown over his shoulder, jostling his classmate enthusiastically. "My friend, if you'd been paying attention, I'd just discussed it with Miss Schnee over there! But you- you must be Mr. Arc, then! I've heard of your family before, though only in passing."

Daria gave him a concerned look. "You're... very excited today."

His grin tilted slightly, into one of vicious excitement rather than enthusiasm. "...Because _I_ know what we're doing."

"Okay, don't be creepy like that."

The Vacuoan winked at her as he turned on his heel, marching towards the exit. "I'll see you at the cliffs, my friends!"

The quartet watched him go, blinking in unison with matching faces of confusion. Finally, Jaune blinked himself out of his trance, shaking his head and clearing his throat as he sidled up closer to Weiss. "That... was weird. Aaanyways, enough about him, though! Back to me, and Team Jaune. Whattaya say, Snow Angel?"

Weiss leaned away from him. "Alright, that's a bit too close! Pyrrha, a little help, please?"

Pyrrha grabbed the red spear off of her back, and pushed it forwards. It shot out of her hand, stabbing through the cloth on Jaune's shoulder and propelling him across the room, impaling into the wall and letting him hang limply, blue eyes dazed from the attack. The huntress cupped a hand around her mouth. "I'm sorry!"

There was the crackle of the school's loudspeakers activating, and Glynda Goodwitch's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Would all first-year students, please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation, please? Again, all first-year students, report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

Weiss and Pyrrha made their way towards the exit together, Nikos grabbing her spear as she passed Jaune, letting him drop to the floor. "It was nice meeting you!" She called out as she walked away, voice legitimately cheery.

"Likewise." He muttered, slumping down in his seated position, bravado draining from him quickly.

Daria stalled as she passed him, before sighing, patting his shoulder. "I'm with ya, buddy. I'm with ya."

He sighed again. "Thanks."

* * *

The wind whistled peacefully as he it flowed over the top of the verdant green forest, leavings rustling quietly in response. It seemed far less inviting to the students standing several dozen meters above said top-of-the-forest, the massive trees managing to look small from their elevated position. The first-year students spread out over the cliff's shear edge, nervously looking down to the ground below. Each student was placed onto a stone podium, spread a few feet apart from each other- enough room for a frighteningly large assortment of activities

Ozpin stood at the edge in front of them with utmost calmness, cane held in one hand and a cup of hot cocoa in the other, watching his students casually as he sipped away at his drink. Beside him, Glynda was standing far more stiffly, green eyes locked carefully onto each student in view at the moment.

Shinai rested his hand onto his katana's handle, the breeze pulling at his loose clothing as he looked over the top of Daria's head at his headmaster.

Daria herself was standing uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot as she clutched her ringblades tightly in her hands, brown eyes locked onto Ozpin's as she waited anxiously for him to speak.

To Shinai's other side was the boy in red armor, one massive foot of his mech on the podium. He was currently halfway out of the porthole where the head of the mech would be, looking distinctly bored as he traced random designs onto his suit's shoulders.

To his left was Lance, leaning against his greatsword, unsheathed from his back, chewing on a piece of gum casually as he looked at his fellow students- flashing winks and cheeky grins to those who met his gaze, his free hand working restlessly to keep his hair impeccably in place as the wind continuously disturbed it.

Further down the line was Oracle and Rainier, standing side by side. The duo met gazes for a moment, looking each other up and down, before exchanging simultaneous 'not bad' head nods.

Finally, Ozpin removed the mug from his lips, clearing his throat to gain the students' attentions. "For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

Glynda stepped forwards. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams'. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates… today."

The crowd of kids burst out into a murmur of excitement, promises and plans filling the air as the cliff hummed with the hubbub.

Ozpin sipped at his mug. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."

Lance leaned around the boy in the mech suit, and Shinai, locking eyes with Daria and nodding- by himself, at least. He let out a sharp whistle and barked out warningly: "I will repeat! Dibs on the short one!"

"That being said," Ozpin continued. "The first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

"Stupid friggin'..." The swordsman muttered, scuffing his podium irritatedly with his boot.

Now the students had gone more seriously noisy, suspicious and assessing eyes roaming to each of their classmates as they sized up their potential options.

The short red-clad girl looked to Yang with a shocked face. "What?!" She yelled out, in more of a squeak of panic than anything else.

Ozpin sipped at his mug again. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path… or you will die."

The boy in the armor zoned back into the talk, frowning. "Wait, wha?" He asked to nobody in particular, blinking as if he was sure he'd misheard something.

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and we will grade you appropriately. Are there any more questions?"

Jaune lifted his hand. "Yeah, um, sir?"

Ozpin sipped his mug. "Good. Now take your positions."

Shinai bent his knees slightly, letting out a slow exhalation of breath as he clutched his katana tightly in hand, purple eyes flitting about the forest as he searched for a perfect place to land.

Daria, for her part, simply frowned in confusion, looking to her classmates for guidance, before finally settling on Shinai, the samurai's eyes flitting over to her curiously before locking back onto the forest. Slowly, she copied his form, looking back and forth between him, the forest, and Ozpin.

Lance grinned and swept his hair back one last time, crouching low onto his podium as he shifted his greatsword to rest over his shoulder, craning his neck to the sides with satisfying pops

"Uh, sir?" Jaune persisted. "I've got, um… a question,"

And then Weiss' platform sent her careening off into the forest, a shocked yell following her as she disappeared into the distance.

"So, this landing… strategy thing… uh, wha- what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?"

Oracle laughed giddily as she was flung away, one hand holding her aviators to her face as she flipped through the air wildly.

"No. You will be falling." Ozpin answered absentmindedly, blowing on his drink slightly.

Rainier let out a yell of exhilaration as he vaulted off into the forest of leaves, cackling as gunshots fired him, the white form of his track suit reaching far deeper into the forest than his contemporaries.

The boy yelped as he watched his classmates disappear, dropping back into his mech and letting the helmet find its place again- just in time, as his podium activated, the heavy suit swinging and flipping through the air unevenly.

"Oh," Jaune said. "Uh-huh, I see… so, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?"

Shinai leapt with the activation of his podium, vaulting high into the air as he kept his form, purple eyes narrowed against the high winds.

"No," The professor answered. "You will be using your own landing strategy."

Daria's eyes widened as her brain caught up to the events at hand, vaulting out into the forest with a shocked scream following behind her.

"Uh-huh… yeah," Jaune replied, not grasping the concept. A loud 'woo-hoo' and the flash of yellow of Yang shot across his vision as he continued to look at Ozpin, nodding blankly.. "So what exactly is a landing strategy _YYY_!"

His question bled into screams of terror as he launched off into the air, flipping head over heels wildly.

Ozpin continued to sip at his drink as he watched the last of the students disappear. He turned to Glynda with a smile and a cocked eyebrow. "Shall we?"

* * *

Shinai twirled in the air as he flew, katana sliding from its sheathe, before-

Poof.

He disappeared into a cloud of dark, purple smoke, stalling in the air. Moments later, he reappeared, in another cloud of smoke, suspended in one of the great trees of the Emerald Forest, spinning on his heel as he landed, razor sharp katana clearing out a space for him as he cut a perfect circle of branches and leaves away.

* * *

Oracle continued to laugh as she continued to fly through the forest, getting closer and closer to the treetops- before firing at the ground beneath her. The shot sent her higher into the air, but managed to slow her speed to workable levels, freefalling down to the forest floor below, a cheeky grin planted on her face as she descended.

She fired at one of the massive trunks of the trees as she broke through the canopy, sending herself careening further into the depths of the forest. Finally, she hit the ground roughly, rolling across the dirt before popping back to her feet peachily.

The gunslinger bowed to no one in particular before looking around, pulling her sunglasses down to rest on the tip of her nose. She raised a red eyebrow at a collection of foliage falling to the ground, twigs bouncing against the dirt.

"That's either a sexy samurai callin' my name, or a grimm ready to bite my head off." She stared at the spot for a moment in deliberation- and then shrugged nonchalantly, beginning her walk towards _whatever_ it was.

* * *

Lance continued to whoop and holler as he fell towards the treetops, shifting in the air as he spun vertically, massive greatsword cutting through the trees with ease as he rocketed towards the forest floor. Deftly spinning the blade through the air, he lifted it- and caught it onto a perfectly sized branch, its hook wrapping around the bark as he pirouetted around it.

His momentum sufficiently slowed, he pulled his sword free, leaping through the air again as he continued to swing the hulking blade, vaulting directly towards one of the great trees. He slammed the blade into the tree's trunk, using it to halt his momentum entirely. He gripped the long handle with both hands, flipping himself upwards to stand on the giant blade.

Lance put his hand above his eyes, peering into the forest. After a moment, he threw his head back and let out a roar of a 'cheehoo!' as he continued to race into the depths of the forest.

* * *

Rainier hummed to himself, breaking through the canopy of trees with hardly a sound, deftly swiveling and dodging around the branches soaring his way, hands reaching up to grab onto one momentarily before releasing, his momentum not ceasing as he swung away. Finally, he let go, letting himself fall further towards the ground for a few meters.

Then his robotic kneecap parted, the leg's plates shifting further towards the thigh or ankle, revealing the oversized barrel of a revolver, the length of his shin. He turned so that he was flying backwards, and the cannon fired, massive shell falling to the ground as the force of the shot continued to propel him further into the forest.

At the last moment, he turned, silver claws ripping into the tree he'd been moments from colliding into. The cannon fired again, sending him soaring off once again, bouncing from tree to tree as he swiftly raced his way through the Emerald Forest.

* * *

Daria's mind ran in overtime as she got frighteningly close to the top of the forest frighteningly quickly, brown eyes widened in panic as she ran through idea after idea to _not_ splatter against the forest floor.

The short teen waited until she couldn't wait anymore, a hefty tree branch screaming towards her face. Her blades held up in front of her, she slammed them into the branch, and flexed her core, kicking her feet up and letting the momentum drag her blades through the tree's bark, doing a full 360 degrees around the tree limb, and slowing her momentum drastically. Still though, she freefell towards the earth with no real way of cushioning the fall, holding her arms in front of her face as tree limbs and leaves slapped against her on her way down.

She rolled as she slammed down into the ground, sending her several feet further into the forest, head ringing from the sudden impact. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs as she shakily climbed to her feet, regaining her bearings.

A thunderous slam echoed through the forest, getting the diminutive huntress to jump in shock, wheeling about for the source of the sound. After a moment, the sound blared out again, this time with more force. The Emerald Forest went silent for a few moments... before the cacophonous sound of wood splintering and shattering shattered the silence.

Daria's eyes widened as she turned on her heel- right to watch one of the hulking trees of the forest come crashing down towards her. At the last moment, she dove to the side, narrowly avoiding being squished under the trunk of the tree, diving face first into the dirt. She groaned as a massive cloud of dust rose into the air, obscuring her vision as she pushed herself to her feet.

Her eyes widened as something else crashed into the forest floor- but not nearly as violent, and much more controlled. Her hands gripped her ringblades tightly as she whirled to face the sound, ready for a fight.

"Hm? What's this?"

There was the sound of mechanical gears and parts shifting.

She slowly dropped her guard, peering through the dust cloud in confusion.

There was a horribly tense beat of silence as her eyes narrowed. And then-

"Hello!"

Daria's face fell in dumbfoundment as the boy in the mech marched through the cloud, grinning toothily at her as he waved, currently perched on top of his mech.

"Name's Nash!" He greeted happily, voice a much higher, friendlier tone than when he was piloting his mech. "This is Phalanx. I guess this means we're partners now!"

She stared at him blankly for a moment, mind whirring to catch up with her. She let out a sigh, falling backwards into the dirt, face devoid of any emotion other than the feeling of being absolutely done with the day.


	3. Chapter 3: The Emerald Forest

**Chapter 3: The Emerald Forest**

* * *

Shinai leapt from the top of the tree he was perched on, landing solidly onto the ground with a quiet grunt, purple eyes assessing his surroundings. He, though, was fully cognizant of the shocked gasp that sounded out behind him.

"Well hot damn!"

He closed his eyes and sighed at the familiar voice, rising fully to his feet as he rested a hand onto his katana. "Oracle." He greeted quietly.

"Haha!" She laughed, jumping into the air and fist pumping. "Jackpot!"

The samurai sighed as he turned to her, purple eyes meeting green. "Very well then."

She grinned broadly, sauntering up to him with all of the swagger in the world. "Don't sound so down, darlin'. I can tell our luck's lookin' up from here. Well. My luck at least. Which'll at least rub off on you. Easy pickins."

Shinai shook his head in vague disappointment, turning his purple eyes back to the forest broader. "Did you manage to catch a glimpse of the temple?"

"Naw, just trees. But if I've learned anything: ya can't finish till ya begin!" She called out giddily, drawl deepening with excitement as she buzzed in satisfaction, sashaying past her partner, further into the depths of the training ground.

He watched her go for a moment before sighing again, shaking his head in quiet disbelief, following after her quietly.

* * *

Lance peered forwards, using his greatsword to push some thicker bramble out of his path with a distasteful frown.

"Twenty minutes, man," He muttered to himself. "Not a single soul in sight. What even is this?" The thought of making it to the temple, wherever that was, before finding a partner occurred to him briefly, and he shuddered.

That would be just his luck.

"Daria?" He called out. "Pretty please? Don't let me stuck with wolf-boy! C'MON FOREST, GIVE ME SOME-" He cut himself off suddenly as his eyes widened, the nearby bushes rustling with something _large_. He turned on his heel to it, greatsword held in one hand behind him, at the ready.

Slowly, a hulking form revealed itself in the shrubbery ahead, dauntingly large. The swordsman grinned and swept his hair back. "Come on then, beastie. Lance ain't afraid of no grimm."

"Shut up." A deep voice growled back at him, irritated.

The blonde swordsman blinked as he dropped his guard, cocking his head to the side. "I'm sorry, come again?"

The other huntsman growled as he stepped through the bushes, pitch black irises locking onto Lance's own, filled with indignation at the situation confronting him. The other teen was massive, standing nearly half a foot taller than Lance, and just about twice as wide, broad form lined in well defined muscle. His hair was formlessly black, spikes falling backwards and reaching down to his jawline. His skin was pale, standing out starkly from his skin; his face was relatively young looking, but marred by a trio of scars on his right cheek. He was dressed in a long, beat-up black trenchcoat, black baggy pants tucking into black boots matching the black armored shirt under it all, hands wrapped in black tape. Gripped in one hand was a massive, black-iron ball, surface littered with wickedly sharp spikes; a chain attached to it disappeared up into his sleeve.

He was currently glowering at his new partner, looking none too pleased with the situation.

 _Don't make fun of his outfit, don't make fun of his outfit, don't make-_ Lance repeated in his head like a mantra.

"Nice... outfit." The swordsman muttered, resting said sword onto his shoulder.

The other teen sneered distastefully, but said nothing else.

The two students simply... stood. Quietly. Awkwardly, the silent forest offering only the sound of wind in the trees for background.

"Lance Zaffre," The blonde offered, raising an eyebrow in silent questioning.

His partner stared at him for a moment, before looking to the side. "...Ulysses."

"Decent, bud."

"I don't like you."

"You might as well go and prim up that bush you came from, cause it's more upset than I am."

The larger teen's face darkened. "I will shut you up myself."

Lance's other eyebrow raised to join the other one uninterestedly. "That tone's unhelpful."

The two partners stared down for a moment, neither willing to give an inch of ground for a long period of time, before Lance jerked his thumb towards the side.

"Caught a glimpse of the temple back that way. We oughtta get moving before the sun gets real low, bud."

Ulysses snarled, but turned on his heel nonetheless, marching off the direction the swordsman had gestured- oddly enough, with smoke rising from his form ever so slightly, as if he was smouldering.

Lance let out a breath he'd been holding, posture relaxing. "That's gonna take a while to get used to." He muttered as he stalked off after his partner.

* * *

Rainier swung from branch to branch, pale yellow eyes curiously scanning the space below him as he swept along through the forest at a respectable pace, humming to himself thoughtfully as he did so, adding a slight twirl every so often to break up the monotony.

He was in the midst of one of these twirls when some _thing_ collided with his side, the thin string biting into his jacket as his eyes widened, form cartwheeling out of control. At the last moment, he latched a hand onto the string, stopping himself from careening to the forest floor below, white sneaker dangling in the air as he blinked in surprise at the turn of events.

He slowly looked up to what he was holding onto- and into the warm brown eyes of the girl from the fountain, sun-kissed skin blushing fiercely at the attention and proximity of the faunus. She was dressed the same as the day before- but now she was clad in a complex compound bow, bowstring wrapped around her torso and a quiver of arrows laying on the small of her back, perpendicular with her body.

"Oh!" The Vacuoan called out, blinking in honest shock. "My friend from the fountain! A pleasure to make your reacquaintance!"

She nodded shakily, wobbling on her perch atop the string as he flipped up to join her on it, the duo bending down towards the ground a few more feet from the extra weight. She stared at him appraisingly for a moment, impressed at his ability to join her, before quickly turning her gaze as his curious yellow eyes rolled back towards her.

He extended a hand. "Rainier Platina, though I doubt you're the type for titles and familiar relations and such."

She swallowed hard and hesitantly took his hand. "G-Gail. Cerulean, I mean. That's my... last name... Gail, just call me..." She went quiet as she ducked her head, letting out an anxious breath.

Rainier's face softened as he looked at his new partner. "Very well, Gail. Come on then. We've a temple to reach, preferably in one piece, no?"

She nodded haphazardly, the two stalling for a moment before dropping to the ground. As she did so, though, she jerked hard on the string, a dull 'thwang' greeting them as two arrows ripped themselves from trees on opposite sides of the path, reeling themselves back in until they lay in her hand, the archer redepositing them into her quiver. She averted her gaze from the faunus and nodded shortly, gesturing for him to lead the way.

The Vacuoan watched her for a moment before sighing, turning on his heel to march into the depths of the forest, humming a tune to himself quietly.

* * *

Nash and Daria walked side by side together, both united in unsure silence as they marched along aimlessly.

"So..." She began, turning inquisitive eyes up to her newly chosen partner. "Where are you-"

He jolted to attention. "Ah, sorry, wha? Was thinkin' 'bout huntsmen stuff."

"...Oh. Kay?" She frowned at him. "You're a little young, aren't you?"

"...I guess? I dunno. I mean, how old are you?"

She stared at him.

He stared back.

They stared at each other in silence.

And then a smile slowly claimed her face. "I think I'm gonna like you."

He grinned back bashfully. "D'aw, thank yooou."

The short huntress shook her head with a cocked smile, worries lifting from her mind as she watched the boy idly toy with a mechanical, clockwork... thing from his perch atop Phalanx.

* * *

Oracle fired round after round from her two revolvers, heavy shots ripping through the black forms of the grimm ahead of her with ease. The grimm were beowolves; pitch black with gleaming red eyes, were-wolf like in shape and equally lupine skulls cladding their heads, wicked sharp teeth shining in the sunlight.

Despite their ferocious appearance, they went down fairly easily.

Shinai appeared in a blur of black and silver, katana soaring through the air to cleave one of the grimm's head clean from its shoulders, body falling to the ground limply. He was gone again, sliding to the side and slashing through another's arm, the wolf recoiling in pain as it wildly swung with its remaining arm. He ducked it quickly, raising his blade high into the air for a kill shot- before its head disappeared, a bullet trailing passed his head harmlessly. On the other side of the falling beast, Oracle gave her new partner a charming grin, one gun held high.

He stared at her, purple eyes unimpressed- before disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke. Her eyes widened.

"Hey, wait- YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!" She barked, whirling on her heel.

Lo and behold, the samurai had reappeared behind her in a matching cloud, arms held forwards at the end of a swing. At her feet was a bisected beowolf.

She stared at it before looking back up to her partner. "... Ozpin wasn't kiddin' when he said 'danger in the forest', huh?"

He resheathed his katana, looking around. "... So it seems."

"Why keep grimm so close to the city though?"

"Live training."

The gunslinger watched him go for a moment before readjusting her sunglasses. "You ever get the idea that you're not sure what you've gotten yourself into?"

"No."

"Well that makes one of us at least. Hey, can't be much more than these mutts in this place."

* * *

Lance stared in awed horror at his partner, Ulysses standing a few feet away and huffing in anger. Beneath him was the hulking form of a bear-like grimm, covered in an impressive amount of bone-armor and totally motionless. The taller huntsman growled as he flicked the pain away from his fist, still clenched around his Morningstar tightly, black smoke rising from its metal matching with the smoke curling up from the grimm's body.

The swordsman shouldered his blade. "We've got our problems-"

"You don't say." Ulysses growled.

" _But_. That was pretty badass."

The brooding teen was silent for a moment before grunting, in the closest approximation of appreciation he would give his partner. Rising fully to his feet, he stepped over the fading ursa. He turned black eyes to Lance, eyebrow raised sourly. "Are you coming or not."

The blonde sighed as he began to saunter forwards. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't get your panties in a twist, big guy."

* * *

"So, my quiet friend! Any particular hobbies of yours?" Rainier asked exuberantly, charming smile flashed Gail's way.

She looked up to him in shock for a moment, before ducking her head. "...Re- I- I like reading."

His eyes brightened. " _That I can work with_ ," He muttered, before adding more audibly. "Reading, you say? What kind, may I ask?"

"You..." She began before shying back away from him. "...You wouldn't like them."

"Romance?" He asked, head cocked to the side curiously.

She hesitantly nodded.

"My dear, I am _offended!_ You would truly believe me incapable of romance? Nonsense! I am _immersed_ in romance. My very accent is romantic!"

Gail gave him a tiny, _tiny_ _smile._ "... I just like to read... in general."

He shrugged, throwing his hands up behind his head as he languidly made his way forwards, yellow eyes studying his new partner quietly. He sighed. "'Eyes that don't see, a heart that doesn't feel,' as we Vacuoans say. I find it far more, perhaps... attractive? For one to immerse themselves in creatives and the arts. I believe we may yet get along, Miss Cerulean."

Her cheeks went deep red with blush as she quickly turned away, smile finding its way to her face, a hand tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "...Th... thanks."

He grinned at her again as they continued to march into the depths of the Emerald Forest.

* * *

Nash continued to hum to himself as the newly-minted partners trekked their way through the deep green recesses of the training grounds, feet kicking idly against the metal of his mech as it autopiloted itself for him.

Daria looked around at their surroundings. "Do you think anyone else is even near us?"

"Mmhm."

"Fine, what about that map in your mech you keep looking at? Any clue where the temple is?"

"Uh-hm."

She turned up to him with a frown, brown eyes disconcerted- and, to her surprise, the blonde boy seemed half-asleep atop his mech, blue eyes fluttering closed every so often, even as he attempted to keep himself upright.

"Hey, uh, Nash?"

"Mmhm?"

"How you holdin' up?"

"Oh, mmgood. Realll' good."

"You falling asleep up there?"

"Mmno." He smacked his lips as he slowly fell sideways, trapping his arm between his head and the mech's shoulders.

Daria chuckled as she turned her gaze back to the forest floor. "You're something else, bud. Sleep tight. I'll yell if we need anything."

"Mmhm."

 _"Grimm approaching the area."_ A mechanical voice droned out from his suit.

"Gah!" Nash yelped as he shot back to attention, blue eyes wide. "Haha, whoops!" Without another word, he scurried back into his suit. Phalanx began to come to life with the whir of electronics and the sound of machinery moving, its metallic head rising up to cover Nash's own, visor lighting up noisily as it began to peer around expressionlessly.

Daria's ringblades shot into her hands as she whirled around. "Did it say where they-"

"Silence." The boy muttered darkly, not giving her another thought.

"Excuse you-"

With a roar, the thrusters on the back of his suit blazed to life, the hulking mech careening off into the forest in a blur of red, ridiculously fast despite the weight of the armor. His hand thrust forwards, crashing through a tree (and subsequently smashing it in half, the top section coming tumbling down to the side, shattering into splinters)- and gripped the throat of a beowolf tightly, a yelp escaping its jaws as it turned red-and-yellow eyes to the mech.

"Found you." Nash growled. He picked it up, before slamming it down into the dirt, a satisfying crunch greeting him. He ripped it back up and turned on his heel, chucking the grimm back the way he came.

His partner yelped as she dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the tumbling carcass. "Be careful!" She yelled out with a scowl, waving one of her blades at him.

His visor turned to her ever-so-slowly. "Fight. Or. Leave. I don't care which." Without another word, he disappeared deeper into the forest with a roar. The pained howl of a beowolf echoed around the trees.

Daria watched him go in shock. " _Yeah, okay_." She squeaked out, before taking off after him.

* * *

Shinai frowned as he and Oracle stepped onto the tile podium of the temple, ascending the stairs that led up to the open air pavilion. The duo looked around curiously:

On two sides of the platform was a large collection of chess pieces, as large as a normal sized cup, and resembling each unique piece to a set. The gunslinger twiddled her fingers as she quickly counted the pieces out.

"So all six pieces, in both colors, two to a set? That's pretty specific."

The samurai walked by the chess pieces, purple eyes assessing. "Four to a team, correct?"

"That's what Oz said."

"Two for each piece. Whoever picks both pieces gets teamed together?"

She tipped her hat back, pursing her lips in thought. "That... makes a lot of sense, darlin'."

He nodded in mutual agreement before taking back off towards the steps leading up. "Pick whichever you want. It doesn't matter."

Her green eyes lit up as she tapped her fingers against each other, grinning at the selection on display. "Ooh, ooh, what to pick, what to pick?" Finally, she stilled, hesitantly reaching out: and picking up a black knight piece. She whistled to get Shinai's attention. "Black knight! In honor of our strappin' samurai in charge."

He stopped on the steps, raising an eyebrow towards her silently.

"Don't play dumb, samurai. If anyone's leadin' whatever troupe we get caught up in, it oughtta be you. And even if it's not, you'll damn sure be the one leading it. You're like our very own Caped Opossum."

"...Do I want to know what that is?"

"Don't tell me you don't- oh, my god, hon. Darlin'. Baby. You don't know what the Caped Opossum is? That was my childhood! I loved that show."

He sighed. "We didn't have TV at the temple. There were better ways to spend one's time than in front of a screen."

"Oh, boy, soon as we get our room- mmph. I'm gonna educate the hell out of you."

He shook his head, moving to rebuke her- when he stopped dead in his tracks, purple eyes moving to the forest.

Gunshots.

She nodded without needing him to say anything, jogging over to meet him on the steps. "Came due east of here."

Shinai nodded back and the duo took off quickly to the fight.

* * *

Lance laughed. "Come on, ugly, give me all ya got!"

The enormous grimm-gorilla roared in rage, thumping bone-clad hands against its broad chest.

Ulysses swung his mace hard, clobbering it on the side of its head. The bone helmet it wore cracked slightly under the pressure, but it merely flinched from the blow.

"Oh, she's angry!" Lance called out, flicking his sword. The blade slid downwards towards him, revealing a barrel at the end of the enormous weapon's handle. He pulled the trigger, a bright blue shot shooting towards the grimm.

It exploded against the gorilla's skin, sending it sliding backwards. Lance ripped another large bullet off of the bandolier strapped to his thigh, shoving it into the barrel. "There's more where that came from, beasty!"

The grimm roared, charging at him. Lance's eyes widened and he scrambled backwards as the gorilla swung its massive hand out, bone-covered hand slamming into his side, sending him flying. Zaffre groaned from his hunched position next to a tree.

Ulysses barely spared his partner a glance, charging at the grimm, whipping his chain around his head. He threw it, sending it flying over the gorilla's own head.

The brooding teen yanked his weapon back, catching it in his hand as he watched the Beringel recoil in pain, frowning.

And then whipped his head to the side as Lance cackled, leaping at the grimm wildly, hooked Greatsword swinging liberally.

The gorilla roared and swung a massive hand, the teen spinning, blade slashing through the creature's hand as his momentum carried him straight into the grimm's face, the blonde huntsman flipping, letting his sword's hook carve into the gorilla's forehead as he slid upwards, perching himself on its head.

The Beringel reached up to snatch the teen off- before a bullet ripped through its hand.

Oracle stared from where she was perched, one massive revolver lifted towards the grimm, smoke spilling from its barrel, her other revolver lifted in preparation for another shot. "Hey, ugly." She cooed, closing an eye as she took aim again.

Lance shrugged, keeping his balance wobbily as the creature shook it hand in pain, roaring. "I already did the ugly thing, sorry."

"Ooh, man, I already don't like you."

They were interrupted as the Beringel's head was swallowed in dark purple smoke. Lance coughed, and waved a hand in front of his face. "What in the-" He cut himself off as he turned to the figure standing next to him.

Shinai looked down at the grimm, twirling his katana, and then thrust it down into the creature's head, drawing out a scream of pain.

* * *

Rainier blinked and stared overhead. "Ms. Cerulean?"

Gale blinked and looked up at him. "What?"

"Did you hear that?"

"The- the roar?"

Rainier snapped. "That _was_ a roar, wasn't it!"

"I... what… could've made that?"

"Hm? Oh, something very large. And in pain."

Gail turned towards the forest. "Should we… go help?"

The faunus mulled the thought over before sighing. "Yes, I suppose that would be the polite thing to do."

* * *

Daria eyed Nash out of the corner of her eye as the pair continued to forge their way forwards, forest back to its previous serene silence.

The boy, to his credit, had defaulted back into his, well, boyish veneer, idly picking leaves off of the trees above head, tearing them into little pieces, then letting them flutter behind him, not looking too incredibly concerned with anything at the moment.

"Uh… _Nash_." She finally said.

"Yea-huh?"

"What… what was that?"

"What was what?"

Daria looked back at the trail behind them; and the now melting corpses of the grimm she could still pick out in the sparse light. " _That_. The thing you did."

"…The fighting? Ah, yeah! Thanks for noticing, it took me a long time to figure out how to perfectly, you know... mesh? With Phalanx. Y'know, a lotta people say that it's not actually a weapon for a huntsman and that's it's cheating but, we're Huntsmen, any advantage is a fair one, y'know? Protectin' the world and all-"

"No, not your ability to fight or whatever… you... went a little… dark."

He frowned, turning to her with legitimate concern. "Whattaya mean?"

"Like… menacing. Violent. It was... weird."

"Well, I mean, you get really amped up durin' a fight, y'know, and-"

Daria sighed. "Okay, this is going over your head completely. We'll talk about it back at Beacon, kay, bud?"

Nash's cheeks puffed out and he frowned in confusion, staring down at his suit. "That's weird."

"You don't say? You threw a-"

"No, not whatever you were talking about. There's a big ol' thingamachiga goin' on a couple dozen yards thattaway." He pointed off to the side without looking up.

She followed his gesture, before shrugging. "It's a death forest, Nash. People are gonna fight."

"Well, pfft, yeah, but this is a bunch of people it looks like. Ooh, we should go see what's happening!"

The diminutive huntress stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "Sure, whatever. Might get us closer to the temple, at this rate."

He grinned giddily. "Ah, I hope it's new people! GAAAH, I HOPE IT'S NEW PEOPLE!"

* * *

Lance and Shinai leapt from the Beringel's head, landing onto the ground to join the other two huntsmen, all looking up at the enraged, and in pain, grimm.

"Any plans?" Lance asked, loading another shot into his sword's cannon.

Oracle shrugged, twirling her revolvers expectantly. "What were you guys doing before we showed up?"

"Oh, you know… hitting really hard… and it not… really… reacting?"

"Huh."

Shinai narrowed his eyes. "That armor on its face and chest won't be penetrable. Beringels are incessantly tough."

The trio looked to him. "So?" Lance asked.

He turned dark purple eyes to each of them in turn. "Hit it until it dies."

Ulysses let his ball fall to the ground.

Oracle cocked her revolvers' hammers.

Lance grinned. "That's all I wanted to hear."

The grimm roared and charged at them; only for a blur of silver to shoot out from behind them, smashing into its armored face, and then disappearing back behind them in another blur, a flurry of arrows replacing him, showering the creature in explosions.

Rainier and Gail stood behind the quartet as the Beringel roared in anger, charging at them.

"Introductions later!" He yelled, running forwards, leaping over their heads to meet the beast head on.

Shinai nodded and twirled his katana, disappearing in a puff of smoke, the other three also mobilizing, following after the faunus' lead while Gail fired arrow after arrow, plunging them into its inky black hide.

Rainier leapt into the air, silver leg shifting to allow its cannon to slide out of his kneecap, firing off as he spun and kicked the grimm, the Beringel stumbling backwards slightly with each blow. He let himself free fall to the ground, rolling backwards, Lance leaping over him.

The blonde huntsman hacked at the creature's legs, dodging as it swung at him, Ulysses' mace flying forwards to slam into its arm, the large teen following after it. He spun, letting more chain fall out of his sleeve, the mace spinning around him, gaining momentum before it finally reached the beast, heavy iron ball crumpling the Beringel's side in as it buried itself in the inky flesh of the grimm.

Oracle ran in at a dead sprint towards the side the creature was favoring, leaping up and swinging around to perch on the gorilla's shoulder. One hand bracing herself on its head, she loosed shot after shot into its neck, the Beringel roaring in agony before swatting her off.

Two poofs sounded out as Shinai appeared in the air behind her, grabbing her arm and using her own momentum to swing her back in the direction of the grimm. She didn't waste the save, striking out with both boot-clad feet, slamming them into the hard bone-mask on the creature's face, sending her tumbling away, rolling onto the ground. The six Huntsmen gathered away from the Beringel, scowling at the tough monster.

It roared in fury and pain, beating its chest, before charging towards them.

The sextet tensed, hands going towards their weapons as-

The Beringel's red eyes widened in surprise, an enormous red metal construct burying itself into its already crumpled side. To the shock of the Huntsmen already deep into the fight, it… went flying to the side as if it weighed nothing, tumbling towards the treeline, a cacophony of cracking and the thunder of trees crashing to the ground. The Huntsmen's eyes all turned from the direction the grimm had disappeared in- each leaning out a slight bit from the last for a better view- to the mech standing resolutely in the middle of the clearing. Its head slowly turned to them, followed by a hydraulic hiss and shifting of gears as the head split in half and- a tussled, blonde hair covered head popped out of the mech.

"Hello!" Nash called out, reaching a mechanical hand up to wave to his classmates.

Rainier and Lance waved weakly in slight confusion to the boy.

"Daria, say hi!" He yelled, turning over his shoulder.

Slowly, very slowly, Daria herself dropped to the ground behind him, stepping out from around the mech on wobbly legs, using Nash for support.

"H-hi," She managed to mutter as she stumbled forwards, using her arms held to the sides as support. "Oh, hey, Rainier. And... Lance."

"Hullo." Was Rainier's reply as he straightened up out of his offensive stance.

"That's all you've got for me?" The blonde frowned, looking sufficiently put out.

"SO, what have you guys-" Nash began.

Like a blur of black and vague roaring, the Beringel came flying back into the clearing, narrowly missing Daria, bodily slamming into the mech clad boy and sending him flying back into the forest, slamming and cracking into trees as the Huntsman's yell disappeared into the distance.

The Beringel snorted and turned its attention back to the other Huntsmen-

Only for Nash to fly back into the clearing, helmet returned to its spot adorning his head, slamming heavy mechanical hands into the grimm's body. The Beringel took only a second to recover from its surprise, swinging its fists to trade blows with the mecha as well.

Lance swung his sword above his head- getting Ulysses to growl in irritation as he ducked the blade- and whistled. "Hoss fight!"

Rainier locked eyes with Shinai, and the two rolled their eyes in unison- with differing amounts of derision- and charged forwards, the samurai aiming his katana towards the beast, and the faunus letting the cannon slide back out of his knee, a click followed by the large shell of a bullet falling out of it.

Daria turned on her heel and blinked in shock at the fight resuming behind her.

Drawing her revolvers, Oracle whooped and charged after the two Huntsmen, Lance and Ulysses right behind her while Gail resumed firing at the beast, arrows ripping through its hide with surprising ease.

The tanned teen groaned as she held her hands down by her hips, her two Infinitas shooting to her palms as she dashed forwards, leaping into the air and twirling expertly. Spinning like a top, her two circular blades sliced through the white bone protecting the Beringel's chest, a single, deep line cleaving it nearly in half from top to bottom, nearly smashing into Phalanx as the mech dashed around the beast, leaping up and crashing a hulking fist into the creature's ribs.

Daria hadn't even reached the ground when a silver blur heralded Rainier. The faunus pushed off of Nash's mech, before planting both feet firmly on the girl's body, drawing a shocked- and less than elegant- gasp from her.

"So sorry!" He said quickly as he used her to vault up to the grimm's face. He planted his regular foot directly onto the gorilla's forehead, then pushed off, spinning and bringing his metallic wolf claws swinging with a ridiculous amount of momentum into its temple, the loud bang of his cannon mixing with resounding crack of the Beringel's mask as he pushed off and away.

Twirling elegantly, he landed firmly onto the ground- as a boot planted itself onto his shoulder, Lance pushing off of the faunus and high into the air, twirling his blade around with a victorious grin planted on his face-

Only for the grimm's massive hand to fly up and slap him out of the air. Lance's eyes widened in shock and pain as he flailed his arms, soaring towards the treeline. Moments before reaching the forest, his eyes narrowed, followed by a smug smirk as he sheathed his Greatsword onto his back, hands reaching out into the air. Head flying towards a particularly sturdy looking tree, he'd nearly impacted with it, before being snatched back towards the fight as his hands wrapped around a thick black chain, Ulysses whipping both his flail and now the blonde teen around towards the creature's skull.

Lance cackled and drew his sword, holding it high as both he and the brooding teen's weapon reached the Beringel. The blonde teen leapt up and spun vertically, smashing his sword deep into the grimm's head, followed immediately by the hefty Morningstar smashing into its cheek, head whipping to the side while Lance tumbled from the gargantuan creature's crown.

He laughed as he rolled across the ground. "Team move, baby!"

His laughter tapered off as he slowly looked up to the large, large mass blocking out the sun above him. Ulysses glared down at his partner, mace coiling back into his hand.

Lance chuckled nervously now and extended a hand to the larger teen. "Truce?"

Ulysses took it. "Truce."

And then hefted the blonde boy up like he weighed nothing, twirled on his heel, Lance taking flight- and then Ebony released, the swordsman soaring into the air with a terrified scream.

Shinai kicked off of his position on the back of the Beringel's head, falling backwards as he narrowly missed Zaffre colliding with the grimm with a painful 'crunch'. Whether the sound had come from the boy or the creature, the samurai wasn't very sure. He landed on the ground followed shortly by Lance, the blonde teen letting out a groan.

Kyani twirled his blade as the Beringel turned its attention to the two Huntsmen, growling in fury at the warriors. It didn't get the chance to attack, though, as Phalanx's thrusters came alive, sending him careening into the grimm's chest, two rocket-powered fists crashing into its inky flesh, drawing a roar of pain. With a quick flick of his wrist, his katana sailed from his hand, blade glinting in the sunlight before burying itself into the gorilla's eye, and then all the way out through the back of its head, to continue its path in the forest. Unbeknownst to him, the blade narrowly missed Gail as she ducked from her spot on a branch, a 'meep' escaping her lips as she looked to the blade buried in the tree's trunk up to the hilt, eyes wide.

Shinai narrowed his own eyes as the Beringel roared and began charging towards him, bashing Nash's mech away far enough to separate the duo, his gauntlet encovered hand still outstretched. Then, with a swift movement, he pulled the gauntlet back as if pulling something towards him.

Unbeknownst to him, Gail let out another squeak of surprise as Shi En ripped itself free from the tree, flying back on its own accord back towards the center of the clearing, point of its blade turning in the air to face the grimm.

The samurai, and a scrambling Lance, leapt into the air and away from the Beringel's slamming fists, Shinai scowling into the creature's blacked out eye. His aim struck true, and his sword came slicing cleanly back through the hole it had originally cut through, landing perfectly in his hand, held backwards, as he spun in the air, dragging across the Beringel's face, more of its bone-mask shattering away.

"Now!" He barked as he and the blonde swordsman fell to the ground.

A deafening gunshot filled the clearing as a golden aura-covered bullet flew through the air, ripping into the grimm's back, opening a sizable hole. It screamed in pain, turning on its heel- to Oracle.

The normally green-eyed gunslinger grinned as golden aura flowed over her form, eyes colored with the same gold. The aura flowed from her, tracing itself along the rivets in her duster, and into the two guns outstretched in front of her. "Jackpot!" She whooped, and then began firing with abandon, hulking bullets ripping through the Beringel with absolute ease, carving enormous craters into its hide.

Oracle looked up above her to where Gail was currently stationed. "You ready, hon?!"

The archer hesitantly nodded and held her bow outstretched, before punching out with that hand. The bow clicked and the two limbs extended, making the bow even taller than her. She slammed the bottom limb into the branch supporting her at the moment, the wood almost splintering cleanly in half. Her other hand wrapped around the quiver held at the small of her back and pressed a button. The arrows held in it began spinning, half of them moving to add themselves to the bottoms of the others. With a rather dramatic motion, she pulled one of the great arrows out, mechanical interface glowing with golden light, knocking it with much effort on her enormous bow, arm pulled back as far as she physically could.

Oracle grinned and dropped one pistol into its holster, staring down the iron sight of her remaining gun- and pulled the trigger.

A boom echoed through the forest as all of the golden aura flowed from her into the single bullet, the supernova-encased shot flying through the air like a rocket, to slam into the center of the Beringel's forehead, shattering its bone mask entirely as its remaining eye unfocused.

With a sharp release of breath, Gail loosed the air with a deep, dull 'thwang'. It soared through the air lethargically, before planting itself right in the spot Oracle had ripped open on the creature's forehead. As it impacted, it set off an enormous explosion, throwing smoke up high into the sky.

The eight hunters watched eagerly at the now still form of the Beringel, weapons all still drawn.

Slowly, ever so slowly, it began to teeter, before finally falling face first onto the ground, narrowly missing Phalanx as the hulking mech took a step to the side. Well, not face first, as the entire head of the grimm had been eviscerated. They watched as black smoke began to lazily float into the air.

Lance laughed and clapped, falling back first onto the ground. "God, that was fun!"

"THAT WAS AMAZING!" Nash cried out, tousled blonde hair sticking out of his mech, a grin splitting his face.

Rainier chuckled and sat down himself, extending his mechanical leg and moving some of the pieces around, a handful of cannon shells falling onto the forest ground. "You're strange ones, my friends.

"Thank you."

"Thank youuu!"

Daria walked up to the Beringel and lifted one of her ring blades to it- and pulled back, a disc of energy flying from it to slice into the back of the beast's neck. "Just checking."

Shinai shook his head as he made his way back to Oracle. "The temple is back that way," He gestured over his shoulder back the way he and the gunslinger had come from. "I hope that no more creatures stop your paths."

"Oh god," Lance breathed. "I hope not. I'm almost out of shots."

"I hate this forest." Ulysses muttered.

"Aw, come on," Oracle cooed, making to lean against Shinai before the samurai stepped away, almost letting her fall to the side. "That was fun."

"If you say so." A chorus said back to her in unison.

* * *

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark," Ozpin called out over the heads of the assorted first year students from his perch atop the auditorium stage. A handful of students, though, were standing behind him proudly, gathered in groups of four. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forwards, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by… Cardin Winchester."

The crowd clapped respectfully as the four huntsman ascended to the stage, shaking the professor's hand as they passed to take their place amongst the formed teams already there.

"Ulysses Ebony. Oracle Carmine. Shinai Kyani. Lance Zaffre," Ozpin continued. "You four collected the black knight pieces. From this day forwards, you will work together as Team SOUL, led by… Shinai Kyani."

Lance groaned as he and his partner began making their way to the steps. "Goddammit, samurai. Goddammit."

Oracle shrugged his direction as she and her partner met them at the bottom of the stairs, twirling her sunglasses around her finger. "What, did you think you'd beat out Shinai Kyani for the leader spot? C'mon, blondie. Don't fool yourself."

The swordsman stilled halfway up the steps, staring at her. "No, yeah, that's fine. First conversation we've had and you're attacking me that's- that's cool..." He trailed off into mutters as the newly christened Team SOUL filed past Ozpin, the professor smiling warmly at the students as they passed, taking their places in the back with (minimal) complaining.

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forwards, you will work together as Team JNPR."

As the crowd clapped, the aforementioned Nora- a ginger haired girl, pale with blue eyes, dressed in a sleeveless, black and white tank top and poofy pink skirt- threw her arms around Lie Ren- a taller, fairer skinned boy with long dark hair, a streak of pink standing out starkly in the front, the same color as his eyes. He was dressed in a longsleeved green tailcoat over white pants.

"Led by… Jaune Arc!" Ozpin finished.

The blonde blinked as he stilled in place, staring in shock at the professor, his face going blank. "Huh… l-led by…"

Ozpin smiled down at him, leaning down to be heard by the young huntsman. "Congratulations, young man."

Pyrrha grinned from her spot beside her partner, hitting her shoulder into his- and simultaneously sending him to the ground from the force of the nudge, the crowd laughing at Arc's expense as he rose to his feet in continued shock, meeting with his team up ahead.

"Rainier Platina. Nash Aspis. Daria Copper. Gale Cerulean, you all retrieved the white queen pieces. From this day forwards, you will work together as Team DRGN. Led by… Daria Copper."

Daria blinked, eyes just as wide as Jaune's had been. "Bu… wha?"

Rainier smiled brightly as he joined her on the stage. "Smile, Dearest Daria. Very few deserve it as you do."

She pointed to him, walking up confidently to Ozpin. "You were watching us in the forest, right?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I was."

"And you saw what he did against that Beringel, right?"

The professor turned approving eyes to the faunus, who bowed graciously. "Yes, I believe I did."

"So what isn't _he_ the leader?"

"I picked you for a reason, Ms. Copper, and my decision is final. I believe Mr. Platina could attest to that as well."

"AND, NAW, PSSH, YOU'RE GOING TO BE THE BESTEST LEADER EVER!" Nash yelled out excitedly as he bounced around his new teammates- still next to Gail for a split second, blue eyes narrowed (as she shied away from his intense attention)- before going back to giddily dancing around them.

Rainier chuckled and poked a finger into his leader's back, ushering her towards the rest of the formed teams waiting up ahead, gathering amidst the proud, excited hubbub of their classmates.

Lance frowned as Team DRGN neared, sighing and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Well, Daria. It's been real. I'm sorry it had to be this way-"

Oracle scoffed and slapped the back of the blonde's head. "Whatever, you drama queen, it's not like you can't talk to her."

The faunus leaned forwards, a smug look claiming his face. "I believe you've lost, friend. Do take your failure to secure... 'the short one' I believe you called her? With grace, yes?"

"Man, I might not like cowgirl over here, but I really don't like you."

Oracle snickered at Rainier's quip, nudging her teammate with her elbow. "Hey, if you're friends with wolfie over here, than you already need to hurry up and introduce us."

Shinai stared at his team, Ozpin still reading names off his list- _'Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao-Long, Blake Belladonna, and Weiss Schnee…Team RWBY.'_ "Understand that this is not going to be easy," The samurai began. "I'm not going to take it easy on any of you. Though I may not have been the greatest teacher at my temple, I will still expect the same amount of discipline and hardwork I'd expect out of any apprentices. Am I clear?"

Rainier and Lance laughed out loud. "Oh… god, good luck with that, chief."

* * *

" _Good luck with that."_

The man sighed, slamming the phone down angrily into its receiver. He growled in frustration, before adjusting his black bowler hat, making sure it didn't muff up his ginger hair as he did so, a bang falling from under the hat to cover one half of his face. He pulled on the white sleeves of his trenchcoat, pulling a cigar out of his pocket and lighting it with a flourish, sighing now in contentment as he puffed on the tobacco gleefully. A cane leaned against the table, threatening to fall over as his black shoe tapped against the floor in irritation.

"Damn, Roman, take it easy. Gonna kill yourself at this rate."

Roman scowled. "You 'Queenly' people are so damn preachy, I can't stand it. Seriously. Get off your high horses, we need the friggin' cavalry."

The young man stepped out of the shadows. Golden hair swept to the side was tinged with orange streaks, gold stubble covering his tanned jaw. A sleeveless yellow shirt with silver designs was covered by a brown sleeveless trench coat. Brown, form fitting pants tucked into golden and brown boots, inlaid with metallic plates. An enormous sword was strapped to his arm, the blade itself hanging above his arm with a pronounced arc. The tip was glowing a dim orange, like heated metal cooling off and the blood not stained to it dripped off the edge.

He shrugged, tousling his hair. "We preach because that's what good cultists do, Rome."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever."

They were interrupted by the squealing of plastic tires against the metal floor. Around a corner came a man- unnamed as far as they were concerned- and dressed in sleeveless grey armor, and black pants matching a black, equally sleeveless hoodie. His face, though, was concealed in a white mask, red designs swirling over its surface. His head was bowed as he wheeled the crate forwards, stopping before the two men silently. Roman sighed, tossing a handful of plastic notes, lien, down onto the table. The stranger took them, before standing awkwardly, eyes shooting from criminal to criminal.

"Well? _Open it._ " The former criminal asked, exasperated.

The masked man lifted a crowbar from the trolley, wedging open the crate's top with a mite of effort, the wood cracking as it popped off and fell to the floor below with a clatter.

Inside sat an assortment of Dust crystals- glowing in a rainbow of different colors gently. Roman took a blue one and held it up to his lone eye, humming to himself as he looked its cut up and down appraisingly. He shrugged and tossed it back into the crate. "Not bad. Still..."

The golden-haired criminal raised an eyebrow as he leaned against the crate, arms crossed as well as he could around his blade.

"We're gonna need more men…" Roman murmured to himself, looking passed both men to a map covering a large portion of the far wall.

The map showed the city of Vale and its surrounding areas, looking far more like an official blueprint than a recreation. Several red 'x's dotted its surface, marking out different shops and points of interests. And at the heart of the map:

Was Beacon Academy. Circled urgently in red.


	4. Chapter 4: Initiated

**Chapter 4: Initiated**

* * *

Daria and Rainier shared a steady-eyed look.

"MEEEE-YOW!"

She sighed as they continued to walk forwards. "You think he's going to-"

"AAAAAH!"

"I doubt it, my friend." He muttered back in tired distaste.

Nash went sprinting by again, fully, completely energized beside his more half-asleep teammates, blue eyes bright, and a grin splitting his face as he ran up and down the hallway in pure, unadulterated excitement.

"Where does he get it from?" She sighed back as they continued to march a ways behind their diminutive teammate, Gail a few feet behind them.

"We did it-we did it-we did it- _we did i-iit_!" Nash called out as he passed them again, before disappearing around a corner- followed by the shocked collection of yells from a different team. He bashfully came shuffling back around the corner, head bowed. "...They told me to stop."

Rainier stopped and turned on his heel. "First off-"

"Rainier-" Daria began warningly.

"How dare they," He finished, brushing his teammate off entirely. "Secondly. Don't let any man, woman, or beast dull your shine, my friend," He grinned as he began retracing his steps, ruffling Nash's hair. "I'll be back shortly, my friends! I've but a word to be had."

The DRGN team leader made a move to stop him- before stopping herself, face falling in a look of unimpressment. "Fine, whatever. We'll... find the room ourselves, I guess."

The faunus simply hummed back as he purposefully rounded the corner, face pulling up in a tight smile. He cleared his throat pointedly as he made his way towards the other team- and stopped.

"Ah, Miss Schnee and friends!" He called out, smile warming.

The four girls turned to him, standing outside a door of their own- Weiss, Yang, her sister Ruby, and another girl tanner skinned than her teammates, with vivid golden eyes and long black hair, dressed in a white sleeveless shirt under a black vest, matching white shorts over black stockings and ankle-high black boots. And, sitting perched perfectly atop her head, was a rather large, black bow.

Weiss crossed her arms. "Oh... Platina, wasn't it?"

He bowed lowly. "Rainier Platina, at your service."

Yang crossed her arms. "Was that kid one of yours?"

"Well... yes, and, you see, your reaction to him was... well, shall we say, unpolite?"

"Well tell him not to sprint around the halls like a menace in the middle of the night." The pale huntress shot back, pale, blue eyes challenging.

He raised his chin in the air- and turned to the shortest girl, Ruby, yellow eyes locking onto silver ones. "You're the leader, Miss... Rose, was it?"

"AHA, YEP, THAT'S ME!" She squeaked out in surprise, silver irises turning to saucers. "Why do you ask?!"

"Oh, no reason. Just simply curious." The Vacuoan bowed, looking at each girl in turn- and then pivoted on his heel, marching back the way he had came, even as they muttered to each other in confusion.

With a lilt in his step, he sauntered back down the hallway he had been in, pale yellow eyes scanning studiously in search of his new team. "Dearest Daria?" He called out, peering around. A hand reached out of one of the open doors in the hall, waving in his general direction. He grinned and continued to make his way forwards, turning around the corner of the doorway with a flourish. And then froze.

His smile faded slightly. "Oh."

Daria looked up at him from her position in one of the corners, brown eyes curious and an eyebrow raised. "Oh? What do you mean, oh?"

"It's... rather blanche, no?"

She sent another look around, frowning. The room had four beds, one in each corner. A small bathroom, complete with shower, was to one side, while a smaller closet was on the other side. "It's... a dorm room, dude. What did you expect?"

He stared at her for a moment before chuckling, voice colored in slight nervousness. "Ah, it's nothing, my dear. It is... suitable?"

"Uh... huh."

Rainier was dead silent as he stood in the doorway.

"...But?" She continued, still frowning.

"...You are aware that I am going to redecorate this place at the first chance, correct?"

Daria shook her head. "Knock yourself out, dude."

Nash came sprinting out of the bathroom, a grin splitting his face as he skid to a stop, staring at the two elder huntsmen. "THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!"

Gail looked in concern at her new teammates for a brief moment before shaking her head, sticking earbuds into place and opening one of her books.

The DRGN leader stared at her team in turn before sighing. "Congrats, Daria. Congrats."

* * *

Shinai stared at his team in silent, stony irritation.

"I'm gonna be honest with you, cowgirl-" Lance continued, chin raised in the air in challenge.

Oracle turned green eyes to him coldly. "That suggests that everything you've said up until this point has been a lie."

"Don't you use semantics on me-"

"Ooh, big word. Which thesaurus did you cry yourself to sleep reading did you get that from?"

"It's a hard life reading thesauruses, but it sure as hell beats fighting a Vale girl who thinks she's a Vacuoan wastelander."

"Ouch. That one hurt. Bout as much as that Menagerian wax it looks like you get every other week."

He turned his gaze to the window. "Hey, first star, I get a free wish. I wish you weren't so damn awkward."

"That's one of the downright worst chirps I've heard in my life. My Alzheimer ridden uncle with dyslexia can chirp better than that."

"I prefer to keep my best stuff for a worthy challenge, not like the top-tier crap you're spittin'."

"I wouldn't say crap if my mouth was full of it."

Shinai rose to his feet, the room going silent at the motion (Ulysses in particular sitting in one corner of the room with his earbuds plugged in, heavy metal blaring loudly into the living space.)

He stared at the duo quietly before shaking his head. "I'm going to go clear my head. Figure out the sleeping arrangements. I'll be back in an hour." The samurai then turned towards the exit, stiffly exiting the room without another word, the door closing softly behind him.

Lance watched him go before turning back to Oracle. "Whatever. We don't need Captain Broody to tell us what to do. Skip that middle man entirely."

She stared at the door. "Right. We'll skip the middle man... who is our leader."

"Sort yourselves out, you whimpering idiots." Ulysses growled warningly as his music turned up louder, black eyes dark with irritation.

* * *

Shinai stepped forwards quietly, eyes closed as he turned his face to the night sky high above, breathing the cool air in and out soothingly, metal boots clacking against the stone floor. His hands rested on the handle of his katana, sliding it in and out of its sheathe in a telltale tick, losing himself in thought.

Reality suddenly whirled back to him as he stopped on his heel, teetering forwards slightly as a shocked gasp greeted him. He opened purple eyes and looked to the person he had been moments from careening into.

Pyrrha backstepped quickly to avoid colliding with the samurai, brilliant green eyes looking him over quickly. "Ah, I'm sorry, I hadn't seen you there."

He shook his head. "No, I was the one not looking. I apologize."

The two huntsmen locked eyes for a moment as recognition flooded through them. The red-haired warrior's face lit up in shock. "Shinai Kyani!"

"Pyrrha Nikos." He returned, bowing lowly.

"It's been some time!"

"It has."

"We haven't seen each other since-"

"Last year's Mistral Regional, yes."

"The finals, right. How are you?" She asked, voice legitimately interested.

Shinai shrugged as the duo began walking with one another, marching towards one of the metal railings that overlooked the lower levels of the campus, an ornate fountain trickling calmly down below. "I'm alright."

"I... hadn't expected you of all people to come here."

"I hadn't either. Circumstances change."

She smiled at him as she leaned against the bannister. "Well, it's good to see you."

"Likewise. Your record is still unblemished, I imagine?"

Her face reddened with blush. "I... it's not-"

"Don't believe that I'm bitter about our fight. You were the better huntress. I acknowledge that. I was just... curious."

She let out an 'ah' of understanding, and the duo lapsed into silence.

"Trouble sleeping?" Pyrrha finally asked, turning to him.

He trailed off as whistling cut through the quiet air, rising and falling rhythmically. The sound was soon joined by the uneven clatter of steel on stone, then the padding of sneakers, rotating on each beat. After a long moment, Rainier finally rounded the corner, eyes closed, and his hands stuffed into his pockets.

He blinked pale yellow eyes open, and looked at his two classmates in turn, irises going bright with recognition.

"Ah!" He called out, picking up pace to join them. "My samurai friend from the forest- and, Ms. Nikos," He bowed lowly to them with a flourish, before rising back up and smiling conspiratorially.

The aforementioned huntress smiled apologetically. "...Rainier, right?"

"That would be me."

"I'm afraid we didn't get much time to talk this morning before you left. We... haven't met before, have we?"

"No, no, of course not," He assured with waving hands. "This morning was our first meeting, yes? I'd hardly imagine you to know me otherwise, being a world apart as we have been," the faunus leaned against the railing, craning his neck to look up at the moon. "But, nevertheless- here we are. You, samurai, your name was... Shinai? I believe?"

"Shinai Kyani." The black haired huntsman offered, tipping his head in greeting.

"Shinai Kyani. _Shinai Kyani!_ " He laughed. "I knew I recognized you!"

"...You did."

"Of course! You're legendary, my friend! Even I, a backwoods Vacuoan, knows the legends of Nikos and Kyani! Near untouched records, the both of you, and a lavish amount of trophies to share between you two."

"You know a lot about tournament play, then?" Pyrrha asked as she turned to the newcomer.

"Of course. My name may be buried in the far reaches of the desert, but I'm not so remote as to not pay attention to the frontrunners of my life's work. And here we stand. Three of the greatest fighters of our generation."

"You're very modest," She replied with a shake of her head. "But you truly believe so?"

"Don't be naïve, dear. There are few huntsmen or huntresses now, or who became before us, who can match the brightness of your star. And Mr. Kyani's story here is just as glorious, much as a fairy tale. Now, admittedly, it may be less fair to compare myself to you two, and our other peers, as I have come up in a very... different system as you two have. But I fear very little that I'm not considered amongst you in the potential top students echelon."

"Top students," Shinai muttered, purple eyes narrowing.

Rainier chuckled. "My friend, we are the defenders of the world. There are those of us who, once we graduate, will be sent on the most dangerous missions, in the darkest reaches of Remnant, where no sane man or woman will tread. Have no doubt that they have been, and will be, searching for those insane, talented huntsmen who can handle those quests. Perhaps even as early as our assignment in the Forest today."

"For a Vacuoan, you have quite the analyst attitude." Pyrrha noted.

"Perhaps. Perhaps. But, it never hurts to consider all possible situations when faced with them. I'd recommend you two do the same. It would certainly go a long ways in getting us through the next four years anyways," He fished his Scroll out and let the clock flash over its screen. "Ah, but it is far late, and I should be rounding back around to my new team. Ms. Nikos. Sir Shinai." With that, he bowed again, and began to saunter back off the way he had came, whistle cutting through the night air yet again.

Pyrrha sighed. "He is right, though,"

"About the rankings?" Shinai asked, turning a raised eyebrow to her.

She chuckled. "You two think quite a bit alike. No, that it's late. I think I'll begin heading off as well. Goodnight, Shinai. It's good to see you again."

"Likewise, Ms. Nikos," He said with a head nod, before turning back to the railing before him, not budging an inch. "Likewise."

* * *

"Vegas Gold!" Roman Torchwick barked, marching forwards _furiously_.

The gold-dressed man raised an eyebrow as he turned towards the mob boss. "I don't think I get paid enough for you to take that tone with me."

"You don't get paid anything! But more importantly- _no killing my men!"_

Vegas sighed as he leaned against a metal table, looking up to the darkened windows of the warehouse boredly. "They're not even your men."

"Maybe not, but they were expensive!"

"So buy some more."

Roman growled as he adjusted his bowler hat, chewing angrily on his cigar. "Your people don't pay that well, Gold."

The other criminal shrugged. "That's not my problem, Rome."

"Well, do you at least have a good excuse?"

"He was pissing me off."

"SO you just... just... slice-slice?"

"Yeah?" Vegas took a few steps towards his partner. "Maybe we haven't been properly introduced, chief. My name's Vegas Gold. I work for some very bad people because _I'm a very bad person."_

Torchwick didn't back down, green eyes narrowing. "And my name's Roman Torchwick, _THE MAN RUNNING THIS OPERATION, IN CASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN!"_

The golden swordsman snorted as he turned away, looking towards the battle map covering the wall. "And how's that going for you, by the way?"

"Oh, it's going just peachy. It'd be going better if my men didn't keep disappearing. Minus their heads, of course. You just leave those, because why not?"

That roused a brief laugh from Vegas. "You know what, Rome? I like you. Fine. No more slicey-dicey on your men..." Then he turned back on his heel, getting _very_ close to the gangster. "But you keep me in the loop on _everything_ that goes on here. Deal?"

Roman stepped past him, tracing a hand over his map. "...Your bosses don't keep you very informed, huh?"

"About as well as they keep you informed."

The ginger criminal turned over his shoulder to Gold. "...You'll have to remind me to introduce you to Neo. I think you two would get along just peachily. I'll take your deal, then, Gold. We might make it out of this situation alive after all."

Vegas shrugged. "We just might, Roman.

We just might."

* * *

"NOOOOOO!" Nash cried out, falling to the floor as he tugged at his uniform pitifully, face screwed up in legitimate grief.

Rainier kneeled down to the short boy, patting his head. "It's alright-"

"NO, it's nooot! I've already done sooo muuuch schoool! We're supposed to learn how to fight stuff, not go back to school..." He trailed off in exaggerated sobs.

The faunus looked up to Daria with a cocked eyebrow silently.

She sighed. "Nash, it's still school. It all goes hand-in-hand. We need to do it anyways, so might as well just get it over with."

"...Do we have the same classes?" He sniffled.

"Eh..."

"Mostly?" Rainier finished. "Our main classes are the same, are they not?"

The DRGN team leader nodded. "I think so. I'd have to check. See? We'll be there with you, Nash... mostly."

The blonde boy sighed as he rose back to his feet. "...What do we mean some of the classes?"

"Well, unless all of our side classes are forced to remain with Daria, then there will be... a... few modifications." Rainier added as he straightened up as well, the quartet beginning to make their way towards their first class of the year, dressed in semi-matching uniforms; Rainier and Nash in black and gold suits with blue vests, the faunus wearing his jacket over his shoulders like a cloak, dress shoes replaced with his white sneakers. Gail and Daria were dressed in similar jackets, wearing pleated red shirts rather than pants; Gail wearing thigh high socks, while Daria's fell just below her knees, wearing sneakers like her Vacuoan teammate.

Nash sighed. "I... guess-" Then his eyes widened, and he gasped. "I have a machinery class! OH MY GOD, I LOVE THIS PLACE!"

Daria and Rainier shared an amused look, the latter turning back to look at Gail trailing a few feet behind the trio.

"Miss Cerulean, any interesting classes of your own?"

She jolted in shock. "AH- ah... no... none."

"I've no doubt you'll find one that will change your mind, my dear." He finished, turning his gaze back forwards.

Daria leaned into his ear, whispering: "What's her deal?"

"Simply a shy girl, Dearest Daria. It will pass. I hope." He muttered back brightly as they continued to march forwards steadfastly.

* * *

Daria's eyelids drooped, threatening to close on her completely. She shook herself awake and blinked repeatedly, willing herself to remain conscious. She turned to Rainier with a scowl. "Why did we pick the seats in the very back? _In the dark?_ There's no way I'm going to be able to stay awake. Especially not with..." She trailed off, gesturing pointedly at the teacher stationed far beneath them.

"And that, of course, was only the beginning of the hunt. Wounded and limping away, I knew that the beast would be a fitting challenge for…" Professor Port continued to ramble on, the point of his lesson forgotten as his story seemed to stretch ever onward.

The faunus shrugged. "Then sleep, no? It's quite simple."

"I feel like we have very different attitudes towards school."

"I've no doubt. In Vacuo, if you simply don't take to a class- you don't go. I've no doubt the dear professor down there has _wealths_ of knowledge to impart upon us young children. I don't need to hear it. Ergo- I will sit up here. And. Sleep. You three are free to move closer if you'd please, yes?" He turned to his teammates in turn- Gail's eyes flitting back and forth from the conversation going on next to her, and the teacher rambling on down at the bottom- and Nash.

Whose head was laid down on his desk, arm folded beneath him, and snoring quietly as he blissfully slept.

"We'll call that an abstainment." The faunus added politely, turning back to his leader.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You're not flunking any classes this year, you know that? I'm not letting that happen."

"What a valiant team leader. Foolish. But valiant indeed!"

"Sometimes I wonder if Lance is better off."

* * *

Shinai's foot slid forwards across the stone platform as the fountain trickled along behind him, purple eyes closed peacefully as he slid about very slowly, boots tracing smooth circles about him as he continued to perform his meditations. His katana trailed with him gracefully, flowing with his movements as he twirled it about him. He sucked in a breath- and disappeared in cloud of purple. A moment later, he reappeared above it in another cloud, falling lethargically. His katana cleaved the cloud in half cleanly as he fell, landing in a crouch with a slow exhalation of breath.

Oracle burst out into applause, a grin splitting her face. "What a guy!"

Yang gave her a look, eyebrow raised. "Man, I always thought you were into the bubbly ones."

"Yeah, but you seen the- well. You don't care, but even you've gotta admit!"

"Sure thing, sis. But... I dunno. Never figured he was your type."

"You know? I don't even think he is. But dang, man. Plus, I've gotta spend the next four years with 'im, so... dunno. It's a weird situation. But I'm gonna enjoy it while I can."

"You do you, girl. Hey, speakin' of. Where's the rest of your team?"

"Huh? Ah, I don't really know. Ulysses doesn't really talk to any of us, and Lance is flakier than-"

"Hey. Right here."

The girls blinked and turned on their heels. Lo and behold- the blonde swordsman was marching towards them, hands folded behind his head. "Can't win a chirp off to my face, so you talk trash behind my back? Poor form, Carmine. Oh, hey, Yang."

The two huntresses shared steely-eyed looks. Yang cocked her head to the side. Oracle grit her teeth- but begrudgingly nodded.

The two rounded up towards him quickly, shoulders squared.

He squared up with them, eyebrow raised. "Great day for chirpin', ain't it ladies?"

Yang crossed her arms. "Buddy, the only thing ladies love is when you stop talkin'."

"Oh. Really."

"You heard me."

Oracle raised her chin. "Buddy, you're softer than a chewed up tootsie roll."

"You look like the skunk my dog killed and probably did unspeakable things too." Yang added.

Lance's eyes widened as he looked back and forth between them.

Oracle spat on the ground. "Get your wannabe-Vacuoan jacket out of here, you pheasant."

"Get your pretty boy haircut and your overcompensating sword and kick rocks."

"Cake eater."

"It is a great day for chirpin'."

"What's it to ya?"

He slicked his hair back. "Girls- girls-"

Oracle leaned towards him. "'Girls, girls'- what, do you share a brain both up North and down South?"

"Get real." Yang added.

"I bet you've got twenty different names for your sword, and you can take that one either direction that you want, bud."

"You smell like cheese puffs, and you look far out."

"I bet you right Achieve Men song lyrics in your pick-up texts."

"You prefer kittens and you kiss babies."

"You're a friggin' amateur, bud."

Lance took a begrudging step back, bowing his head as he continued to comb his hair back in awe. "Ladies... that was some of the finest chirping I've ever received. Ever."

"Oh yeah?" Oracle asked. "Did I win a chirp-off to your face?"

"Don't act like we can't go toe-to-toe with you, Zaffre." Yang finished.

The two girls high-fived, looking at Lance expectantly. He raised his hands appraisingly.

"I'm not too proud to admit when I've been beat. Just wanted to let you and Kyani know that we've got our sparring class comin' up here in a few," He turned to walk away, before stopping, holding a hand up to his teammate. "...Well played, Oracle. You're the better chirper. Well played."

The swordsman shook his head in awe as he began walking away, shooting the two girls sporadic looks until he disappeared out of sight.

The huntresses didn't take their eyes off of the direction he had walked for a long moment.

"I'm glad he didn't want to fight. It would've been awkward having to ask to change first." Yang added, finally relaxing her form.

"He's a good guy, once you get passed all the flirting."

"Weren't you just making googly eyes at your team leader?"

"Yes. _But_ , I haven't made a move on him since he made it clear he wasn't interested. Gotta respect personal space, you know?"

"Hey, where is Captain Broody anyways?"

They both turned back to the fountain.

It was absolutely barren.

The gunslinger sighed, leaning against the railing. "Probably bounced as soon as we started chirping. He tends to find it annoyin'. Too much talkin' for him or something, I don't really know."

"Well, at least you guys got sparring class next. That oughtta be interesting."

* * *

Rainier hopped in place, the claws of his metal leg tapping against the tile floor with every movement. A glint shone brightly in his eyes as he stared across the small platform at his sparring partner.

Shinai was, in comparison, deathly still, one hand holding Shi En's sheathe, the other wrapped around the handle.

" _Go_." Ms. Goodwitch said, and the two combatants dashed at each other.

Rainier leapt over his classmate, the silver claws of his leg shining dangerously in the light. Shinai turned on his heel, sword held carefully in his hand.

The faunus' grin widened. "Very good, my friend! Shall we?!"

Shinai didn't reply, simply dashing towards the white-suited teen. His katana slashed out, narrowly missing Rainier with each slice as the quick Huntsman dodged each blow. The faunus dodged an overhead swing and leapt into the air, spinning like a corkscrew. His robotic leg smashed into Shinai's midsection, sending the samurai sliding across the small battleground.

Rainier's attention turned slightly to the class watching in interest at the two combatants. He turned to Shinai. "You're pulling your shots, friend. Make this interesting, yes?"

Kyani rose slowly to his full height, katana pointed dangerously at the Faunus. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke and reappeared in another one above Rainier's head.

Platina's eyes widened in shock as he narrowly dodged the downward jab. The point of the katana touched the floor and Shinai balanced perfectly on it, armored boot shooting out to catch Rainier square in the face. Rainier stumbled backwards, face scrunched up in pain.

Shinai wasted no chance, pirouetting around to send another kick at Platina's abdomen. Rainier caught the foot, and his legs shot out from under him, dragging Shinai down with him so they were both laying on the floor, Rainier on Kyani's leg.

The calf of the faunus' metal leg slid open, and the revolver-like cannon emerged from his knee. It fired and sent the two teens cartwheeling into the air. Rainier flexed his muscles and chucked the samurai towards the wall, intent on having Shinai slam into it.

Kyani let his momentum turn him, his feet impacting into the wall before he leapt off and towards Rainier, Shi En raised high. Platina scrambled and his cannon fired another shot, sending him flying towards the opposite wall. He landed on the ground and spun, metal claws sending sparks into the air.

Rainier finished his spin and kicked upwards to the samurai dashing towards him, blade poised to stab.

"Time." Goodwitch said.

The two combatants froze- Rainier balancing on one leg as the heel of his robotic leg perched precariously under Shinai's chin; Shinai balancing on his tippy-toes, knees bent, his blade aimed to stab under Rainier's ribs, muscles coiled tightly.

"While it would be a treat to watch Mr. Kyani and Mr. Platina battle all class, we don't have time," The lights of the classroom brightened and the students stared down at the sparring partners in states of awe. Goodwitch gestured to a screen on the far wall, next to Rainier and Shinai. Their pictures appeared on opposite sides, with two green bars beneath them. "Students, as you can see, their auras- the protective wells of energy that fuels our semblances and gives us general invulnerability to physical harm- are showcased by a life bar of sorts under their portraits. This is the same format used in all official, sanctioned bouts- though, Mr. Platina may know little about that. Once their auras are damaged enough, the bar will turn red, meaning that they are very close to being vulnerable in a fight and no longer fit to battle, and an official will call the match," She turned to the two teens. "Very good exhibition you two. I trust that you'll both be applying for the tournament come this summer?"

"Of course."

"We'll see."

She gave them both nods. "Either way, keep up the good work, both of you,"

The two relaxed from their fighting positions but still didn't move off of the platform, looking to Goodwitch.

The teacher turned back to the students. "Remember, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away. In a short time, students from every Kingdom will be arriving at Beacon. Those who choose to compete in the tournament will be representing not only our school, but the entire kingdom of Vale."

The bell rang and the students shot to their feet, murmuring amongst themselves excitedly; words of encouragement and interest in the tournament, but also in awe and glee of the two huntsmen's brilliant display.

Rainier and Shinai stood silently on the platform for a few moments, looking at each other. Shinai placed his hands against his sides and bowed. "Well fought, Platina."

The Vacuoan twirled his hands and dipped his legs in a slight bow as well. "The same for you, samurai."

Shinai rose from his bow and gave his sparring partner one last nod, marching off towards where Lance and Oracle were waiting by the exit, alongside the rest of Team DRGN, all of their faces turned up in looks of astonishment and glee.

The faunus slowly looked up to the display on the wall, looking at his and Shinai's bars beneath their portraits.

His face worked itself very carefully into a blank stare, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides; he swallowed down a rising tide of shame hard as he grit his teeth.

Though the bars were both well into the green; his was slightly, but still distinctly noticeably, lower.

He closed his eyes as he focused his breathing.

"So close," He whispered to himself. " _So close_."


	5. Chapter 5: This Will Be the Day

**Chapter 5: This Will Be the Day**

* * *

Beacon's cafeteria bustled with activity as lunch raged in full swing, students of all four years enjoying their meals, the mid-day sun shining brightly in the grand windows high above them. DRGN and SOUL sat at one of the tables against one of the walls, out of the way of the rest of their contemporaries.

Nash stuck his tongue out at Oracle. Her face turned up in an exaggerated look of wide-eyed rage.

"Boy, I will pull your tongue out!" She snapped good-naturedly, making a swipe at the boy's face. He pulled back quickly, snickering with a broad grin.

"Nash!" Daria muttered. "Table manners."

"Sorry."

Lance shrugged as he looked at his friends, leaning forwards over the table, waving a corndog the other team's way. "You say that- I've known dudes who would get in full blown fights during dinner. Over something stupid like who had that night's shift as well."

The gunslinger scowled and slapped her teammate's shoulder. "That goes double for you, blondie! Sit down, you look like a savage."

"Maybe I am. Wouldn't you feel bad then." He muttered as he slowly sat back down, rubbing his shoulder as he continued to munch on his lunch.

Gail stared at her friends with uncertain brown eyes, rubbing her fingers together as she steeled her nerves. She leaned forwards. "Wh- where are you from, L...Mr. Zaffre."

The swordsman jumped in shock, blue eyes turning to her. "Holy- have you been here the entire time?!"

Her eyes cast themselves back down to the table top and she shied away again, pursing her lips.

"Lance." The word was said with steely warning.

All eyes turned to where Shinai was sitting at the end of the table, quietly, and politely, eating his own meal, gaze still locked onto his food. The swordsman blinked, before turning back to Gail, taking in her withdrawn expression.

He sighed. "I didn't mean it like that. Sorry."

She gave him a small, tight smile, but didn't raise her gaze for long, reverting back to eating quietly. Lance sat back as well, clearing his throat as a wave of hot shame washed over him. The table went quiet for... maybe five seconds.

"Oh my gods, so yesterday!" Nash began, gasping as he shot to attention, hands slapping down rapidly on the table top, begging for the two teams' attentions.

Daria chuckled as the boy went on his rant, each set of eyes set on him in various stages of amusement. Except for Rainier's. She turned to him, smile slowly fading as she caught the far-away look on his face, pale yellow eyes staring off into the crowd of students, the muscles in his jaw tightening as his teeth grit together.

The DRGN team leader frowned and nudged him in the ribs. "Hey... Rainier? You good?"

He hardly gave her a split-second look, before turning quickly darkening eyes to their contemporaries. She followed his gaze with a frown, catching Shinai's frown as he noticed the situation. There, almost on the other side of the cafeteria (and nearly unnoticeable as far away as they were), was the scene holding the faunus' attention.

The leader of CRDL, Cardin Winchester- a tall, stocky boy with a short shock of red hair and steel armor, was standing up, alongside the rest of his team. Their faces were all pulled in matching sneers of cruel enjoyment.

And in Cardin's hands was a long pair of bunny ears, the girl they were attached to swept off the ground entirely as she struggled quietly in the larger huntsman's grip, face a mask of pain as she spoke quietly to him.

One of the teammates laughed, flicking one of the ears as he elbowed his friend.

Rainier's gaze turned to the students sitting around the situation- though their faces were by and large concerned with the girl... no one moved. Slowly, the Vacuoan's lips curled up in a snarl, teeth gleaming dangerously in the light.

"R-"

"I'll be back." He hissed as he rose to his feet furiously, then stormed off into the crowd.

"Oh for-" She began, shooting to her feet and rolling her eyes.

"Wait- what's he-" Lance frowned, eyes shooting back and forth between Daria and Rainier, frowning.

"I don't even know!" She shot back as she took off after her teammate.

The other five sets of eyes watched the DRGN leader go in confusion.

"OKAY?" Lance called out after her, throwing his hands up.

Despite her hurried pace, Rainier still held a strong lead over her, swiftly winding his way through the tables of students, narrowed, yellow eyes never once leaving Cardin's face. The larger huntsman noticed the faunus as he made his way over, mercifully dropping the girl to the ground. She shuffled away from him, rubbing the pain from her ears as she watched the situation unfold in front of her.

The leader of team CRDL crossed his arms, raising chin in the air. "You're that Vacuoan mutt, huh? What, here to save your little _bun-bun_ girlfri-"

He went silent as a gasp escaped his mouth, blue eyes widening, doubled over the fist buried into his stomach.

Rainier's face worked itself into a tight, vicious grin, and he leaned close to Cardin, so that they were cheek to cheek, before whispering: "I... am... a... Platina." He stepped back, letting the larger boy fall to a knee.

One of the other members of CRDL stepped forwards, scowling. "Who do you think you-"

The faunus was to his side in a heart beat, leaping in the air and corkscrewing, before striking him cleanly across the face with his Wolf's Claws, sending him clattering over the table, food flying into the air as he did so. Rainier dropped to the ground as the other two teammates rushed him; pirouetting the moment his back hit the floor, swiping one of the boy's feet from under him, his chin hitting the wooden surface of the bench with a crack of wood shattering, then leapt back to his feet like a bullet, turning to the last member of the team.

He stepped forwards quickly with a bored expression, and planted his claws in the boy's chest, a gunshot sending the final boy flying across the cafeteria to slam into the far wall, falling with a groan.

Rainier immediately turned back on his heel, grabbing the recovering Cardin by the throat, and pushing him up against the cobblestone wall, free hand lifted to come back down onto the larger huntsman- before hands grabbed his arm, dragging him away.

Daria stared at him with shocked, frustrated eyes- the other members of SOUL and DRGN stood a short feet behind him, all blinking in surprise. "What do you think you're doing?!" She barked.

He rounded on her, baring down on the shorter fighter. "These boys were hurting her, yes?" He hissed, pointing at the rabbit faunus staring on with wide, brown eyes. "And now they won't- _will they?_ " The last words were said with a growl, pale yellow eyes turning to Cardin. The red-headed boy glared up at him, but didn't say anything, simply rubbing his throat.

"You can't just attack people!" Daria spat back at him, slamming a hand into her own hip in fury.

He raised an eyebrow, spreading his arms. "But I did! And who would have stepped in otherwise, hm?"

She opened her mouth to rebuke him- when the doors to the cafeteria went flying open, wind rushing in dramatically. Glynda Goodwitch stormed in, riding crop gripped tightly in her hand as she sent a cold look over the students. "What is going on in here?!"

All eyes in the room turned incriminatingly to Rainier. The faunus blinked.

* * *

"Children! You act like children!"

"I was-" Rainier began, holding a hand up to her to defend himself.

"It doesn't matter what you were doing! You assaulted your fellow students! That's an offense worthy to be expelled for!" Glynda snapped back, leaning down into the face of the Vacuoan.

Ozpin raised a hand to her, brown eyes watching his student quietly, leaning forwards over the glass top of his desk. The trio were currently sitting in Ozpin's office; the office itself was rather elaborate, the floor made of stone designed with a wide, symmetrical swirl. The ceiling was simply the enormous, turning cogs of the clocktower. Ozpin's desk dominated one half of the room, an enormous window behind it overlooking Beacon itself. He cocked his head to the side. "And you were... defending Ms. Scarlatina?"

"Yes!" The faunus said, throwing his hands up. "Because no one else would!"

"And... she couldn't defend herself?"

"Couldn't, wouldn't- does it matter?"

Ozpin shrugged. "As far as I can tell, everything matters in a situation like this."

"I... I don't know. It was the entire team of scum surrounding her."

Another shrug, the headmaster looking up at the disapproving eyes of Goodwitch. "Cardin said that you simply attacked them while they were talking with their friend, Velvet. Velvet herself said that, well: 'it all happened so fast.' And you say that they were... bullying her? And you came to her defense."

"That is what I said, yes."

Another shrug. "As far as I can see, there's no reason to punish you-"

"Ozpin." Glynda hissed.

"Coming to another student's defense does not warrant expulsion, Ms. Goodwitch. Far from it. It should be commended. This is... something that would have happened in Vacuo, correct?"

Rainier shifted uncomfortably in his seat, watching the headmaster with wary eyes. "...Yes."

"Then there's nothing to punish here. We will, however, be talking with Velvet and CRDL again, though. For now, you're free to go and... maybe explain to your team." Ozpin smiled and nodded.

The Vacuoan slowly rose to his feet, bowing uncertainly before turning on his heel, marching towards the elevator on the other side of the office.

The two teachers watched him go with very different looks. Glynda looked to Ozpin with a frown. "We can't just let every person who commits an offense like this just get away scot-free."

"No," The headmaster shot back calmly as he took a sip from his mug. "But it wouldn't do to punish a boy who just wants to help others, would it? He's Vacuoan. His entire life he's learned that it's better to act and face the consequences than to do nothing. We'll bring the CRDL boys and Ms. Scarlatina back up. If their stories can confirm or deny his, we can act from there."

She sighed, but nodded. "Fine. I want to talk to Cardin. Alone. We'll see what he has to say then."

* * *

Rainier rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped back out into the CCT tower's lobby, free hand tucked into his pocket. He turned the corner- and stopped in his place. Sitting in one of the chairs against the wall, was Velvet herself, looking up at him as he entered her sight. And surrounding her, though, was her team; two boys, one extremely tall and stocky, head shaved, dressed in the school uniform, and one shorter, with dark skin and striking red hair, and a girl, pale-skinned with dark hair highlighted in gold, aviators and a beret perched on her head, a large purse held over her shoulder.

The girl looked up as well, marching forwards to meet Rainier, extending a fingerless-gloved hand. "Coco Adel, leader of Team CFVY. Thanks for looking out for Vel. We don't usually eat in the cafeteria, so we weren't there. We should have been. But, anyways- thanks. I guess you get what that's like?"

He took the hand and ducked low in a bow. "Rainier Platina. I... saw a girl being bullied, and I acted. Perhaps impetuously, but acted nonetheless. Is she..."

"Her ears hurt a little, but she's good. Mostly."

Velvet rose to her feet, stepping forwards towards the wolf. "Thanks," She said quietly in a lilting accent of her own. "I didn't... want to make it worse than it was."

Rainier watched her for a moment before sighing. "No thanks necessary. I grew up being taught that... sometimes 'making a scene' is what it took to get things done."

Coco gestured to the other two teammates who had walked over to join the congregation. "That's Fox," pointing to the smaller huntsman, who inclined his head. "And that's Yatsuhashi," The larger one bowed at his name. "You ever need anything, give us a call. Coco Adel keeps her favors."

The wolf faunus nodded in turn to the four huntsmen. "I appreciate it, friends. Good luck with Ozpin and Goodwitch." He bowed again, and turned away, marching towards the exit of the tower with a smile claiming his face as he exited into the warm sun of the outside-

Straight into a sucker punch to the shoulder. He yelped in pain and jumped to the side. "What even-"

Daria glared at him. "Who do you think you are?"

He looked at his shoulder, frowning, then back to her. "I'm sorry?"

She hit him again.

Lance stepped forwards, hands folded behind his head. "Man, we've been here a... what, couple of weeks? And you're already picking fights and getting on Oz's bad side. I'm actually impressed."

"Oh goodie, you brought everyone along to chastise me," Rainier muttered dryly. "Fine then. What did you want me to do?"

"I dunno," Oracle cut in. "Maybe not send a dude across the building?"

"And let them continue to harass her? Hardly," He spread his arms. "My friends, I understand I come from a different place than you all. But this is what I do. I act. It is hardly going to change."

The blonde swordsman stared at him for a _long_ few moments. "...Dammit, I think I actually like you."

"It was impulsive," Shinai added, standing to the back from the rest of the teams. "And it could have gotten you expelled. For the sake of your team, you should be more cognizant of your actions."

Rainier watched him with inquisitive eyes. "Ah, yes. Perhaps I shall. Perhaps I shall."

* * *

Gail jumped in shock as the bag dropped down loudly beside her, yelping in surprise. Oracle blinked and peered around her, French fry held halfway out of her mouth. Her eyes widened. "Ah, AH, AH-AH-AH!" She quickly set her tray of food aside and scrambled to her feet, dashing forwards around the length of the fountain the two teams were currently eating at, and threw her arms around Yang. "'Ey, girl!"

The blonde huntress returned the hug warmly. "Hey, cowgirl!"

Oracle pulled back. "Oh, right! Gang, this is Yang, my oldest frenemy. Yang, that's Shinai and Lance from my team, then Daria, Rainier, Gail, and little ol' Nash of DRGN."

Xiao Long nodded. "Yeah, I think we met you back the second day," She said, nodding at Rainier, the faunus inclining his head back. "Hey, just wanted to throw out an invite for you guys to come eat with us."

"I'm down!" Lance called out, shooting to his feet.

Both girls gave him an unimpressed look, before the gunslinger turned aviator-hidden eyes to Shinai. "You down?"

He inclined his head quietly, rising to his feet alongside his food, gesturing for Yang to lead the way.

Nash vibrated with giddiness in his seat. "...Daria?" He whispered, staring at her expectantly.

The leader of Team DRGN, though, looked less certain, turning dark eyes to Rainier, the faunus raising an eyebrow back. "I... I mean, you're good to go if you want, Nash."

He leapt to his feet like a blonde bolt of lightning- but then stalled, looking back down to her with a frown. "...But you're team leader. The team sticks together, right?"

She stared at him, in slight shock. "I... Gail? Rainier?"

Gail shrugged slightly, frowning nonetheless, but not protesting otherwise. Rainier, though, grinned. "I'd never object to such a proposal! Besides, I had heard of Team RWBY's conquering of a Nevermore, and simply must hear the story!" He winked at Daria knowingly as he rose to his feet, extending a hand to her.

The diminutive huntress' look of shock shifted to him, cocking her head to the side slightly- but she took the hand nevertheless, letting him heft her to her feet as the seven huntsmen looked to Yang expectantly.

Her grin widened. "C'mon this way then. You'll... know them when you see them."

* * *

"OKAY, BUT IF I THROW CRESCENT MOON-"

"Ruby, I don't think you _can_ throw your scythe hard enough." Pyrrha said quietly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

The leader of Team RWBY's head fell in sadness. "But it'd be so _cool_ …"

All of a sudden, the pink-clad Nora shot to her feet, pointing dramatically at the approaching Yang, throwing her head back. "SHE! HAS! RETURNED! WITH THE PROMISED FRIENDS!"

The eyes of Teams RWBY and JNPR turned to the blonde huntress and her new entourage, taking in the potentially new friends from the shelter in the shade cast by the large tree behind them.

"Hello?" Rainier said unsurely.

Yang grinned back at the newly arrived seven. "You guys get used to it. Anyways, _Nora; this_ is Team SOUL and Team DRGN."

Weiss rose to her feet, dusting off her skirt as she frowned at Shinai. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Pyrrha nodded. "We fought against one another in the Mistral Regional finals last year."

"Ah, of course! You're from that samurai temple here in Vale, right?"

Shinai looked to his friends with a slight frown. "...Right."

"Hm. You're quite the fighter, you know that?"

His frown faded to an irritated, knowing look. " _Right._ "

Rainier was to the midst of the already situated students, grinning broadly as he stretched his legs out. "My friends, it's an honor to meet you all!"

"You're that guy who attacked Cardin and his team the other day, aren't you?" Blake asked, cocking her head to the side.

His smile fell slightly. "Well... yes. He deserved it."

"I'd heard. Thanks for doing something. Not enough people are willing to do the right thing."

He cocked his head back to her, smile softening. "Well... thank you-"

"AH, I HEARD ABOUT IT," Nora yelled out, turning to shake the wolf violently. "YOU WERE LIKE- BOOM- THEN YOU KICKED THAT KID- OUT- OF- HIMSELF!"

Daria smiled as she sat down, shaking her head as Rainier's eyes widened in horror as the ginger huntress manhandled him. She turned to Ruby, whose face had turned from a pale shade, to a distinctly nervous pink, and sighed. "You too, huh?"

"Oh my gods, you know?" The red-clad girl whispered back.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

Jaune nodded as he turned to them. "Welcome to the club then. What about Shinai?"

"Oh, no. He's quiet, but a very... commanding quiet. No. I don't think I've ever seen him ashamed... or abashed... or embarrassed."

"Ah, well. Least we got the hat trick with you."

Lance grinned as he raised his drink in the air. "Come on, guys? Can't you feel it? This is the beginning of a super group, and unstoppable alliance of the most promising huntsmen of our generation. We shall call ourselves... the Mega Powers!"

"Oh for- _shut up,_ Zaffre!"

* * *

"When Lance said that we were now the Mega Powers, I hadn't expected that that meant I would deal with your personal problems, yes?" Rainier asked with a frown, leaning against one of the pillars lining Beacon's many walkways as he stared at the Rose-Xiao Long sisters.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Whatever, that's not what's happening here and you know it."

"So... allow me to get this straight. Something's wrong with Blake, and now you want me to help you find her… after she ran off… after Weiss grievously insulted her?"

Ruby smiled slightly. "Well… yes?"

"Because I'm a wolf. And by that logic, I have an exceptional sense of smell, correct? And can thus find her more easily than you can?"

"When you say it like that…"

"What makes you even believe I can find her? My faunus trait is rather more noticeable. And fluffy, no?"

"Well, yes, I did notice it! And... well… I mean… eh… Yang?"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Listen, are you going to help us, or not? I know your type. I relate to it so, so much. You're a smart guy, and you're good at finding people, right?"

Rainier's slightly offended look slowly melted into a coy one. "I'll have you know, I never do things for free."

"Uh… belly rubs? Ohmygod, is that still racist?" Ruby said, frowning.

The faunus laughed heartily. "You and Nash would be good friends. Very well. I'll do it. Well, then, do you have an idea of where to start?"

"Uh… no?"

"How long has she been gone?"

"…Three days?"

"Do you have any idea where she would've gone? Who she would be with?"

"Uh…" Yang trailed off, pouting slightly in frustration.

"She might be with that monkey faunus?" Ruby pointed out.

 _"Monkey faunus?"_

"Yeah, he's one of the other students from Vacuo… or Mistral… I think. I don't remember."

"Well then. And, pray tell, where is Weiss?"

The sisters shared a look.

"I'm... not sure how into the search she is." Yang admitted, rubbing the back of her neck.

Rainier frowned slightly, mind whirring in thought. "…Unfortunate. Alas, I _will_ help you. She'd be off campus. Perhaps trolling around the town. Do you know why she left?"

"Uh…"

"Avoiding the question- personal matter, then. Very well, I shan't ask more. In whatever case, I'll begin looking. I'd suggest you do the same. Either way, I'll get back with you two by tonight."

Yang nodded. "Thanks, Rainier."

The faunus bowed. "My pleasure. Ms. Xiao Long. Ms. Rose." He leapt upwards onto the top of the pillar he'd been leaning against. Another bow, and he leapt backwards, flipping so he was facing away- and with the loud shot of his cannon, he was gone.

Ruby stared after him. " _So cool_ …"

"Eh."

* * *

The other three members of Team DRGN all sat quietly in their dorm room, all in varying states of distress, the window against the wall pitch black with the night sky.

"I'm boored," Nash whined as he kicked his feet from his position laying on the floor, legs propped up on his bed.

" _You_ broke the TV, Nash. The new-new one." Daria sitting in one of the office chairs Rainier had bought, spinning lazily.

"But… but… yeah, you're right-"

Gail blinked, sitting up from her place cuddled into her bed, placing her book to the side as her Scroll buzzed urgently with a message.

' _Message from: Rainier P._ ' It blinked at her, and she quickly opened it, wondering to herself what the wolf faunus had gotten himself into. "Situation at the shipyard. Please help if you would," She muttered to herself, before turning to her teammates, asking quietly. "Um... guys?"

"-Just cause you're right, doesn't make you correct!" Nash continued, paying the archer no mind.

"That- that doesn't even make any sense!"

"Yuh-huh, you're just not a big enough brain to understand it."

"Guys?" Gail tried again, sitting up and frowning at her teammates.

"Nash, what even are we arguing about-"

"Imma just come out and say it- you were more fun back in the forest."

Daria's eyes narrowed. "And what does that mean."

"I said it. It can't come back now. It's too late."

"Boy, I'm going to beat you."

"GUYS!"

All eyes turned to Gail, the archer's dark eyes wide, huffing from the yell itself. And very slowly, her face turned a crimson red, and she quickly shot her gaze to her bed. "...I... I think Rainier's in trouble. At... at the shipyard."

"Oh," Daria said, rising to her feet. "Oh! OH! Let's go, then!"

"Sheesh," Nash said as he ever so slowly wormed his way off his bed before climbing to his own feet. "Couldn't be that bad. It's Rainier. He'll be fine."

* * *

Rainer spat in distaste, leaping into the air and pirouetting, silver claws of his mechanical leg colliding with the porcelain mask of one of the White Fang thugs, sending the man tumbling away. As he fell to the ground, he reversed his momentum and struck out with both legs, tripping the nearest thugs surrounding him. A boot came crashing down, colliding with the ground as he narrowly dodged it, rolling to the side quickly. Using his hands to spring up to his feet, he immediately threw a lightning fast punch, before ducking another well placed punch.

"Where are they?" He hissed under his breath as he rather ungracefully slammed shoulder first into another White Fang member, widening the dog pile slightly to give himself some more room. Hairs raising against the back of his neck, he turned on his heel and planted a boot into one thug's midsection- before his cannon fired with a raucous boom, the man flying away. Another one immediately took his place-

And Rainier rather casually spat in his face, own visage unscrupulous. That only served to incite the thugs further, the men and women all piling in on him at once, modicum of composure lost in the face of one of their brethren faunus, beating him down mercilessly, as he inwardly admitted the act may have not been the smartest in that situation.

"Hey!" Ruby yelled out, voice echoing over the relatively empty shipyard.

"Oh good..." Rainier muttered under the blows as some of them pulled away from the wolf faunus to look to the newcomer.

He took the opportunity to fire his cannon liberally, squirming and twirling on his back to blast as away as many of the thugs as he could, before scrambling to his feet, backflipping high and away from the thugs, sprinting towards the aid of his new found compatriots located high above the battlefield. Ruby stood resolutely, Crescent Moon drawn and her red cloak lazily waving in the breeze. By her side was another girl with ginger hair and a pink bow. Rainer couldn't make out anymore of her from there though.

Blake and a rather cheery monkey faunus were fighting more thugs further down the shipyard, having started the altercation when the Vacuoan had deigned to step in and lend a hand.

And that was going well for him.

Roman Torchwick raised an eyebrow from his position at the other end of the docks, recognition shooting across his face as his gaze turned towards the new voice. The gang boss was in a rather well secured part of the melee at the moment, well protected from any Huntsmen willing to go after him in the midst of the violence. "Well, hello, Red!" He called out, hopping up onto a crate of his own to look up at the two Huntresses. "Isn't it passed your bedtime?" He raised his cane and fired, a large slug soaring from it, flying through the air before slamming into Ruby with a bright explosion. He chuckled cruelly.

The mysterious girl stepped to the edge of the crate from beside where the leader of Team RWBY had been standing. She was dressed in a beige blouse, green suspenders leading down to a grey and green skirt, hanging over thigh high black socks and short black boots. "Don't worry, Ruby," She called out in a rather upbeat voice. "I'm combat ready!"

Her green backpack opened and a sword shot out of it- splitting into many other blades, floating behind the girl threateningly, tips pointing towards the combatants down below. She leapt off of the rooftop, swords trailing behind her, before hitting the ground, three of the blades shot forwards, slamming into two White Fang soldiers.

The swords flew back to her, followed closely, albeit foolishly, by three more henchmen. The girl arranged her blades in a spinning circle and slammed them into two of the soldiers. She leapt into the air and swung the contraption down onto the last man.

Rainier backed away slowly from the battle as the attention of the remaining White Fang surrounding him all turned to the new girl. "Hm. Indeed." He dashed backwards and up, leaping from crate to crate, looking down at the battle from a safe position.

Two more of the White Fang's bullheads descended onto the battle, machine guns firing at the sword wielding girl. The swords formed a shield in front of her, spinning quickly, blocking the bullets as they descended on her. Two more swords shot out from her backpack, slamming into the wall behind her. A metallic whirring filled the air and she was dragged backwards to safety.

Her swords assorted themselves in front of her in a cylindrical shape, forming a tube facing the bullheads. They began spinning and a green orb began expanding in the middle of the swords. After a tense moment, the orb fired outward in an enormous beam, slicing into the bullheads with ease; the halved ships went flying behind her and into the ocean, water splashing out over the battlefield.

The girl's attention turned to another bullhead moving closer. Two of her blades shot forwards and into the side of the ship. She casually dragged the bullhead down to the ground in a fiery explosion, as if they had weighed nothing.

Torchwick frowned from his spot in a bullhead of his own as it began accelerating towards the sky. "These kids just keep getting _weirder_ …" He muttered before closing the door of the ship with his cane, disappearing into the night as the girl watched on.

* * *

The shipyard pulsated with blue and red lights as cops scurried about the scene. Ruby, Blake, Sun, Penny, and Rainier sat quietly around a handful of boxes- the four-former sitting on crates while the latter lounged on the ground, pulling and prodding at his leg as he shifted the damaged parts around.

Sun Wukong, the faunus with an energetic monkey tail, was tall and athletic, with tanned skin and blonde, ruffled hair, eyes blue. He was shirtless, a white, unbuttoned short sleeve overshirt, jeans rolled up to his calves, and black and yellow sneakers his only clothing, other than the black fingerless gloves on his hands.

The sharp clicking of heels filled the air and the group turned to see Yang and Weiss walking up quickly, faces deadly serious.

Ruby shot to her feet. "Look Weiss, it's not what you think, she explained the whole thing. See, she doesn't actually have a bow, she…"

Rainier grinned to himself, drawing his attention away from the conversation as he continued to adjust his leg. He'd only had a few moments to do so, before a boot collided with his shoulder, sending the faunus to the ground.

"Do not go fighting terrorists by yourself!" Daria barked, Nash and Gail a few feet behind her- the former looking around in curiousity at the battlefield, while the latter was grinning bashfully at her partner.

"I had Wukong and Bella-" Rainier began as he righted himself back up.

Daria pushed him over again, frowning as she stomped her other foot into the ground. "Do not! Go fighting! Terrorists! By yourself!"

"Dear-"

"Oh, do _not_ 'Dearest Daria' me right now."

"Very well," The faunus relented, using the communal wooden crate to help himself to his feet. "I will not go fighting terrorists by myself."

"Good."

"That does not include anything other than terrorists."

" _Oh do not_ right now. _Do not_. Get your silver butt back to the dorm room. You are in _so_ much trouble," She turned her exasperated look to Ruby. "Thanks for coming to help. I don't know what we would have-"

"It's fine," The short girl chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm right there with ya."

Blake shook her head, a small smile plastered to her face as she drew her eyes from Weiss and Yang to Team DRGN. "Rainier,"

The wolf faunus looked over to her, own, paler yellow eyes curiously... guarded, blank. "Hm?"

"Thanks for running in and helping. You didn't have to."

He gave her a thin smile. "I told you. I act when actions are necessary."

The brunette nodded again, smiling kindly.

Rainier turned from her without another word. "Shall we?"

Daria shook her head as she stormed off, the other members of her team trailing after her, shying away from their leader's seething rage.

Sun and Team RWBY watched them go for a moment, Weiss crossing her arms. "I can never get a read on him."

Yang sighed as she leaned against the crate. "If he's anything like Oracle, that'll... probably take a while."

"He doesn't seem like a bad guy," Blake added, hands folded in her lap. "Just a little... spontaneous."

"Speaking of!" Sun called out, shooting to his feet. "Who wants to go after those guys?"

" _No_!"

* * *

Lance ducked the thrown alarm clock, a rare scowl crossing his face. "THAT'S MY- LAST STRAW, EBONY!"

"Listen up, Zaffre," Ulysses growled. "I didn't ask to be here. I didn't _want_ to be here. I don't have to like the fact that I'm here."

"Wh- you signed up! You _literally_ asked to be here!"

"I signed up to train to be a huntsman. I did not sign up to play buddy-buddy with an annoying brat like yourself."

Oracle sighed. "Hon, I don't understand-"

"You don't! You think I sit here and brood by myself for no reason? I've got my reasons. They don't include you."

"But they could. I don' know your life, but whatever you're workin' through, we can help-"

"No. No you can't. You can't fix me, you can't help me- my problems, they're part of me." He growled back.

Lance shot to his feet. "Cool story, bud! Guess what? We've all got our problems! I bet Kyani over there could write you an essay on the crap he's been-"

"I bet he could!" Ulysses roared as he shot to his feet, baring down over his partner. "That doesn't matter! It doesn't matter! Nothing! And I mean _nothing_ compares!"

The blonde swordsman looked his partner up and down, before adding quietly: "You wanna take that bet, big man?"

"You think this is about you?" The hulking huntsman growled back.

Oracle sat forwards on her seat. "No, it's not about him. It's not about me, or Shinai, or you even. We're a team now, alright? We're a unit, we gotta have each others' backs."

"No, _you've_ gotta have each others' backs," Ulysses spat, turning away from Lance. "I don't need you and I don't need this team."

Shinai shot forwards like a dark bolt, purple eyes staring into Ebony's own black orbs. "No. You don't. But listen, Ebony. You have four years. Four years of us. I don't care if you don't like us. I don't care if you like the team. What I do care about? Having you on our side. You're strong. You're individualistic. We get that. What I don't get is your obsession with being solitary. You can't get through this on your own-"

" _Says you_."

"Says me. I grew up on the streets, Ebony. I tried to be _that_ guy. It almost killed me."

Ulysses went quiet.

"I was given a choice to change, and I took it- and that's the only reason I'm still here today. We're giving you that choice. You don't have to take it. We can't make you. But you need to make that choice. Right. _Now_."

The hulking teen was silent for a few moments, furious black eyes staring at his team leader... before sighing, withering glare casting itself away from the others, face softening. "...Fine."

"That is my first order as your leader. Get over it. Got it?"

Ulysses' gaze shot back to Shinai's- challenging black meeting stony, steadfast purple. The largest member of the team snarled... before it turned into a smirk. "Loud and clear."

Shinai backed up, face stony again. "From now on, you're part of the team. You'll go to class with us. You'll eat with us. If I have to drag you, kicking and screaming, you'll be. Part. Of. This. Team."

Lance sat back down, kicking his feet up. "You heard him, big man. One of us."

"'Sides," Oracle added. "We need _someone_ to keep Lance in check."

The samurai didn't drag his eyes from Ulysses. After a moment of hesitation, the large teen nodded slowly. Kyani nodded back. He turned to the other members, nodding to them as well. "Lance, Oracle, lights out. We start training- _as a team_ , tomorrow."

"Ah shi- well, night, I guess!" The swordsman grumbled as he made his way to his bed.

The gunslinger climbed into her own bed, snuggling up. "Sleep tight, y'all."

Ulysses put his earbuds in and adjusted uncomfortably as he lay down, eyes turning to Shinai as the leader rose to turn the lights off.

' _As a team.'_

"Night." The hulking huntsman nodded as the lights went out.

* * *

Roman sighed as he massaged his brow. "In the name of all that's holy- Gold? You got any hard liquor you're hiding in this dung heap, by any chance?"

Vegas leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "You think I'd still be awake if I did?"

"Yeah, but you know how to pace yourself. And, trust me, kitten- I really, r _eally_ need some right now."

"Five kids, Rome. Five kids."

"Yeah, _I know_! Thank you for reminding me! Where's my cigars?!"

"How very disappointing, Roman."

A soft voice purred from the darkness, putting an end to the conversation swiftly.

Vegas' eyes widened and he swiveled on his heel, staring into the darkness, mouth agape. Roman followed his motion, and the two criminals shared shocked looks.

'Did you know?' The latter mouthed.

Vegas mouthed back 'no', shaking his head as golden eyes locked back onto the shadows.

Roman chuckled nervously, clearing his throat. "I... didn't expect to see you guys so soon."

The woman in the shadows brushed her hair out of her face, glowing eyes burning like embers peering through the darkness. "It's a shame, Roman. We were expecting... more from you."

"Hey! You were the ones who suggested working with those stupid mutts from the White Fang!" The gangster shock back, his pride rearing its head as he grit his teeth in irritation.

The woman chuckled darkly. "And you will continue to do so," She raised her hand and a fireball lit up the darkness- revealing the woman's fair skin, short cut dark hair, and deep red dress, golden designs running across her sleeves. She wore nothing on her legs, standing atop tall black heels. A younger boy and girl stood behind her, one in a pale blue shirt, gauntlets on the arms with silver hair- Mercury Black, and the other a tanned skin girl with long, mint colored hair- Emerald Sustrai. "We have big plans for you, Roman. All we ask is… a little more cooperation."

Vegas grabbed his sword from where it had been laying against the wall, tossing into the air before catching it. "Hey, Cin."

"Vegas," Cinder purred back, a smirk claiming her face, marching forwards out of the dark. "Long time... no see."

"Long time..." The killer blinked hard, shaking his head slightly, before clearing his throat. "So... this mean that I'm done here? We good to go?"

She chuckled quietly. "Not quite, Vegas. This means that we're… taking a more hands on approach."

"Oh. Oh! Oh, so you mean I finally get to... get my hands dirty?"

Cinder Fall chuckled. "Yes, Goldie. You get to get to work."

A grin claimed Vegas' face. "Perfect. I know a few kids who deserve it."

* * *

 **-Volume 1-**


	6. Volume 2, Chapter 1: Second Term

**Volume 2, Chapter 1: Second Term**

* * *

Vegas Gold rotated his shoulder, glaring through the dark at his opponent. "Come on then. Don't be shy!"

The nameless White Fang grunt hesitated, mouth gaping in abject horror, cat like ears pinning back against his head.

The golden criminal tapped the tip of his blade against the stone floor, grinning widely. "Heeere, kitty-kitty-"

The faunus let out a yell of anger, dashing forwards with his pistol raised high, firing shot after shot at his 'sparring partner'. Vegas simply raised his gold blade, the bullets bouncing off, face sharpening into a look of nearly manic glee. The White Fang reached him- and ate a solid boot to the chest, going flying across the empty warehouse floor to crash into the wall, falling with a groan.

Gold dashed forwards, swiping down with his blade and nearly making contact, before the man rolled away. He didn't get far though, Vegas' hand lashing out and catching him by his hood, dragging him back to the wall. A vicious knee strike greeted him, his white mask shattering with the impact, going limp with a low moan.

The killer reared back, blade held high. "Thanks for playing, kiddo!"

He brought his sword back down-

"Goldie."

Vegas went stock still, golden eyes widening, blade mere centimeters from the faunus' dazed face. He turned over his shoulder, to the platform high above, Cinder's burning eyes glowing in the dark. "Oh. Hey, Cin. You mind? I'm just finishing up here-"

"Let him go, Goldie," She purred, with a note of humor in her voice. "We need to treat our business partners like how we treat those from our own organization."

He blinked owlishly, before backing away from his would-be victim, the White Fang beginning to drag himself away. "And how _is_ our benevolent Queen?"

The lift under Cinder's feet began to lower, taking her down to the ground level, sashaying forwards with a coy smirk on her face. "All is well, Goldie. All is well."

"Uh huh..." He said distractedly as she neared, one hand softly brushing against his arm as she passed.

And then she stopped, hand gripping his arm tightly, heat beginning to emanate from her grip as she turned now hard eyes to him. "But there are those who question your loyalty to the cause. After all... you've been away for quite some time."

His face twisted into a snarl of pain, twitching against her touch- but didn't make an attempt to pull away, instead growling out through grit teeth, " _Well_... that's what happens... when they send me to take care of business..." He turned his snarl towards her, gold eyes burning with a maelstrom of emotions. " _I know where my allegiances lie."_

The smirk found its way back to her face, and she released him, Vegas sucking in a breath through his teeth. Cinder reached up and patted his cheek familiarly. "Good. Then we're... understood." Her hand lingered on his skin for a moment as she continued to walk away, deeper into the warehouse, leaving the criminal standing alone.

He watched her go for a moment, before letting out a low growl, turning to the burned skin marking where she had held him.

"You're lucky it's to you." He muttered, before stalking off as well.

* * *

" _I will stab you in the eyes._ " Daria hissed, waving her fork at Nash's face. The, boy, surprised by the sudden motion, leapt backwards, crashing off of his feet to slam into the tile floor, his tray sent flying into the air.

"MY FOOOD!" He cried mournfully from his position on the ground, desperately crawling towards the remains of his lunch, clutching two fistfuls of mashed potatoes tightly. He threw his head back and let out a mournful wail, the few other students occupying the cafeteria looking over to him in confusion.

The diminutive leader's look of mock fury slowly faded as she leaned forwards, peering over to her partner. "Nash," She said, voice still retaining its bite. "...Nash?"

The boy slowly turned to her, with surprisingly real tears streaming down his face, expression twisted into one of grief. "How _could_ you?" He whispered.

"...Nash, are you-"

"No!"

Rainier watched the situation play out in front of him for a long few moments, pale yellow eyes less than impressed. "...So!" He finally called out. "Ruby! This plan of yours, what was it again?"

"Uh, well..." The aforementioned huntress said bashfully, slowly closing the over-stuffed binder in front of her. "I... only planned stuff for my team."

"Uh huh." The faunus continued on, unfazed.

"And, well... just my team."

"Yes, so you said."

"So... it was... just gonna be the four of us?"

"That's implied."

The short girl stared at him, apologetic look slowly melting into one of confusion. "Eh... I'm... lost."

"As am I."

"Oh, stop," Yang said, catching a thrown grape in her mouth. "You're gonna make her fry a circuit."

Rainier turned to the blonde with an amused grin. "Ah, but look at her expression! _Priceless_."

"So you get your kicks by being vexing?" Weiss asked, giving the faunus a furrowed browed glare.

He clapped his hands together, before spreading them out wide. "Nailed it, my dear!"

Nora threw another grape towards Yang- only for it to get snatched out of the air by a lightning fast Lance. "Hey!" The girls both cried in unison.

"Hey!" He shot back, popping the fruit into his mouth. "They were _out_ of grapes when I got there! I've got a very small amount of foods I can eat at any given time and you will _let_ me have this!"

Oracle slapped his shoulder. "Sit down, you're makin' a scene."

The blonde swordsman threw his hands up, gesturing wildly at the grieving Nash. "EH?!"

"Not my circus, not my clowns."

"Hey!" Daria and Nash cried in unison.

"Love you tons." The cowgirl called back.

"Speaking of," Lance said leaning around the redhead to glance at Shinai, sitting quietly at the end of the table. "Got any big plans for your team, o' Captain Broody, my Captain Broody?"

The samurai slowly looked up to his teammate. "No."

"Wow." Yang said.

"Yeah, that's cold, Shin." Oracle added.

"Firstly," He said. "Don't call me Shin. Secondly; it's your last day off. Enjoy it. Tomorrow, we get back to work. And if you want any chance of qualifying for the tournament, then our training exercises will only get more intense."

The members of Team SOUL went quiet, staring at their leader in various states of shock and dismay.

"I got it!" Nora cried.

"Oh no- Weiss!" Rainier continued.

A pie flew from one side of the table, flying along with a purpose, before colliding with the aforementioned Atlesian's face, a small explosion of its contents spilling out in her spot. Slowly- very, very slowly, she turned to Rainier; who pointed further down the table, almost shying away from the girl's ice cold gaze. At the other end of the table, Daria slowly leaned backwards, giving the heiress a crystal clear view of Nora, arm still outstretched, eyes wide with shock. She pointed at Ren, the quiet huntsman simply shaking his head.

* * *

" _FOOD FIGHT_!"

The teams of SOUL and DRGN continued to walk out of the cafeteria unabated, trailing behind the more panicked, scrambling denizens of the hall fleeing with much more urgency, Shinai leading the way, shaking his head in disappointment.

Rainier blinked as he caught the familiar gold mane of Sun Wukong, a grin splitting his face. "Mr. Wukong!"

The other faunus smiled back- before fading as he caught a glimpse of the events transpiring inside the cafeteria. "Hey... what is-"

"And I don't believe we've met!" The former Vacuoan continued on, turning to the foreigner's companion; a handsome teen, hair a bright blue and combed neatly to the side, dressed rather formally in a red suit jacket, white shirt, and matching black tie, pants, shoes, and fingerless gloves.

He quickly extended his hand to Rainier, giving him a gleaming smile. "Neptune Vasilias, at your service."

The faunus' yellow eyes lit up in interest, shaking the newcomer's hand with a matching, brilliant smile. "Rainier Platina of Vacuo, son of Leonardo and Camilla Platina, brother to the White Wolf. At your service."

The duo continued to shake each other's hand as the moment stretched on to awkward lengths.

Daria grabbed her friend by his hood, dragging him away. "Come on, you weirdo."

Lance stopped next to the duo, looking them up and down, face begrudging. He snorted and continued on.

"What a waste." Nash said quietly as he stared in at the dining hall, shaking his head. He marched after his friends without giving the Mistrali huntsmen a single look.

Sun and Neptune shared a look, the former shrugging. "Okay, so that was Rainier, the other guy from the shipyard. But he's super cool too!"

"You don't-"

They both froze as they entered the cafeteria, the faunus grinning brightly, while the latter teen's face fell in horror as they stared at the chaos that had consumed the cafeteria, Team JNPR and Team RWBY wildly brawling, food flying to soak every available surface in mess.

* * *

The airships roared in a crescendo of engines as they soared overhead to rest above the city of Vale; white in armor, and numbering in the dozens, three absolutely massive warships leading the charge. The logo of Atlas, painted in black, shone on the sides of the ships pointedly, banners flying off of some as they came to a stop, many citizens of the city stepping out into the streets to look up in awe and confusion at the fleet.

Rainier stared out at the Atlesian military with a barely disguised snarl, hands clenched into fists from his perch above his teammates, sitting atop a tree branch.

Daria looked up from her Scroll at him, frowning in concern. "...You okay, Rainier?"

He jerked out of his trance, blinking as he looked down to his leader. "...I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"You are looking at the same thing as I am, yes?"

"Yeah. It's kinda spooky, isn't it?"

"If that's the word you wish to use."

"Vacuo... and Atlas haven't... always been very... friendly." Gail cut in quietly.

Rainier snorted. "If that's the word you wish to use."

Daria pocketed her Scroll. "That's not it though, is it?"

The faunus looked down to her for a second, before turning his gaze back to the fleet, pale yellow eyes softening. "...A lot of Platinas died in the Great War."

"Oh."

He sighed as he dropped down to the ground. "In my family, family is everything. It's what you're taught from day one. Sometimes, wounds don't simply heal. But... nevertheless. I suppose not all Atlesians are bad."

"I mean... Weiss has her moments."

The Vacuoan hummed. "Indeed she does. Nevertheless. I am a faunus, after all. I have more than my share of reasons to dislike Atlas."

"Is it..." The diminutive huntress thought her words over for a moment. "Is it bad up there?"

"Atlas' industrial sector-" Gail stopped in her place as her teammates looked to her, beginning to blush. "...They, um... are renowned for their... poor treatment of... faunus workers."

Rainier gave his leader a pointed eyebrow raise, before turning to march away- stopping before Phalanx. "Nash, my short friend!" There was a clattering of metal on metal as the blonde huntsman popped up from behind his mech, fair skin smudged with grease.

"Ello!"

The faunus chuckled. "And what say you?"

"About wha?"

"A... about the military. Flying in?"

Nash stared at his friend with narrowed eyes for a moment. "I don't know wha-" His gaze shot to the skyline, widening in shock. "-OH MY GOSH! IS THAT ATLAS?!"

"I believe we'll call that an abstainment."

"OH I HOPE THEY BROUGHT COOL STUFF! DO YOU THINK IF I SHOW THEM PHALANX THEY'LL GIVE ME A GRANT?!"

Rainier turned back to his leader with a shrug.

Daria rolled her eyes. "Nash, stop fanboying and finish working on Phalanx. I'm not gonna be late to class because of you."

The boy, still buzzing excitedly, ducked back behind his mech, blowtorch firing back up.

* * *

Rainier leaned against the tree nonchalantly, chomping noisily away on his apple, tail wagging lazily against the grass beneath him.

"Oh, gods, dude, I'm going to throw that thing if you don't stop." Lance muttered, turning from his own spot to glare at the faunus.

Said wolf simply smirked and winked, taking another pointed bite from the fruit.

The swordsman shook his head, turning his gaze back forwards for a few moments. "Alright... hey, what about Blake?"

Rainier swallowed his bite, raising an eyebrow. "What about Blake?"

"Add her to the list?"

The faunus turned his gaze thoughtfully to the sky. "Hm... no."

"Oh come on, she's a hot ninja."

"I see that."

"But have you _seen_ that?"

"Do you ever listen to the words that escape your lips?"

"If I did I'd be a dumber man."

Rainier turned back to him, shuffling forwards to sit beside him, looking down to the campus below. The aforementioned Belladonna was marching along the path by herself, a notebook clutched to her chest. Her shoulders, though, were slouched, dark bags hanging under her eyes, face drawn up in a tight expression belying her stress.

"No. Even if I had any interest? Look at her. It would be cruel and exploitative to try and win her over right now."

Lance snorted. "Is that a… surrender I hear?"

"Sometimes, I wonder why I play this game with you. There's no guile, no charm, no romance."

"Maybe why that's why I'm up three-to-one. You don't know _how_ to play the game, man. You get too attached."

"Yes, well- have you considered that, perhaps, Blake is not only a friend, but also a member of our friend _group_? One which we see nearly everyday?"

"That sounds like a surrender."

Rainier rose to his feet, gesturing down to the girl. "By all means, Mr. Zaffre. Do what you will. But I don't accept this as a mission."

Lance though the faunus' words over for a moment, before sighing. "Fine. Not Belladonna."

"Perhaps there's hope for you yet, young Zaffre."

" _Scoreboard, wolf_!"

Rainier snickered as he marched back to his spot leaning against the tree, pulling another apple from his bag. "I may lose this game; but at least at the end of the year, I won't have an army of angry huntresses hunting me down."

"Might have an army of huntsmen though."

"I resent that." The faunus muttered back with a frown.

Lance shrugged. "Just sayin', man. Maybe cut your Vacuoan winks down to a minimum."

Rainier mumbled derisively for a moment as the duo lapsed back into silence, the swordsman continuing to survey the campus observantly. After a moment, though, he turned back to his friend/rival, face more serious. "What happened back at the docks? Before the semester ended? I got a few of the details, but not a whole helluva lot."

The Vacuoan sighed. "Blake'd ran off into the city, for whatever reason, and the sisters asked me to find her. I managed to track her down through a café owner who overheard her and Sun talking about the docks, or something to that effect. They'd found trouble with the White Fang-"

"Like _the_ White Fang? Because I heard something about some Roman Torchwick dude."

"Yes, the White Fang. We- Blake, Sun and I- fought a rather poorly planned battle, before Ruby and the strange ginger swooped into save the day. I never learned why they were out there. I suppose it doesn't matter, not really."

"Man, it's so weird. No one's talking about this! It's kinda hardcore how nonchalant everyone is about this, actually."

Rainier shrugged. "Perhaps, my friend. Perhaps."

* * *

Daria stared out of the window, taking in the black inkiness of the sky, and the stars littering it, surrounding the bright light of the shattered moon. She turned to the dorm room, looking out at her team. "This feels weird, right?"

Nash looked up from his Scroll. "What feels weird?"

The team leader gestured around, at the four Huntsmen lazing around- Nash on his Scroll, Rainier reading, Gail working on school work. "This. It just… doesn't feel right."

The faunus looked up from his book with a lazily raised eyebrow. "Let me guess; the situation with the White Fang has been stewing within you for the past couple of weeks, and now it's boiling over and you're feeling the overwhelming need to go do something about it."

"Wow, you're such a dick."

He shrugged, tossing his book to the side. "What is it you wish for us to do, Dearest Daria? Certainly, we can go marching out and snoop around the city, but truthfully? I don't want to do that."

"You were the one attacked. I figured you would be the first person who'd want to jump on this."

"Certainly, but I want absolutely nothing to do with the White Fang."

The others stared at him.

"What?" He asked incredulously. "Just because I'm a faunus? I grew up in Vacuo. They don't even have a presence there. I personally think they've become sociopaths that'll do more harm than good. Once, when they were peaceful, perhaps there was virtue to their cause- you didn't want a rant about racial politics, apologies."

Daria rolled her eyes. "Fine. But you know what? My friend- friends, actually- got in a fight with criminals. I'm pissed about it. There- how's that for a good reason to go after them?"

Platina sighed. "Daria, what can-"

"RWBY."

All eyes turned to Gail again.

She blushed bright red, looking away. "I- I mean, Team RWBY's looking into it."

Daria gave her Vacuoan teammate a judging, raised eyebrow, arms crossed over her chest.

Rainier stared back for a moment, before a coy smile split his face. "Very well then! To RWBY's we go!"

That made the diminutive huntress stop in her place. "Go- Rainier, it's like, eleven o'clock."

His smile didn't fade, dripping with mischievous intent. "Fortune favors the bold, Dearest Daria! What better time than the present?"

* * *

Ruby stared tiredly out the door at the Team DRGN. Behind her, looking equally disgruntled, were Weiss, Blake, and Yang.

Daria sighed apologetically from her spot beside Rainier. "I'm- really sorry about this, guys."

"Nonsense!" Rainier called out happily. "What is a little late night rendezvous between friends?"

"...Can we _help_ you?" Weiss asked, voice dripping with distaste.

The leader of DRGN sighed again, rubbing the back of her neck, trying to find the words.

"We want to help!" Nash said excitedly, cutting her off as he muscled between Rainier and Daria, broad grin painted across his face.

All eyes locked onto him in various states of confusion. "Uh... what?" Ruby finally asked, breaking the silence.

"It's..." Daria sighed again. "We want to help with the White Fang- and, again, I'm so sorry to wake you guys up but someone decided that this needed to happen right now."

Rainier shrugged. "We may have forgotten in the morning, it's important to not procrastinate on such things

"Ah, jeez, guys," Ruby said, rubbing the back of her neck. "We don't want to drag anyone else into this than we need to. These guys are really dangerous."

"But," The faunus cut back in. "I was there, if you can't recall. I have a personally vested interest in making sure no one else gets hurt by these men, yes? After all, we are huntsmen. Protecting people is what we do. Isn't that right, Daria?"

The aforementioned huntress glared up at him silently.

Ruby's eyes shot back to Blake, before turning forwards again. "I mean... I guess. We don't have a lot to go on right now. But... if you guys really want to help, I guess we can't say no."

Daria nodded, giving her fellow leader a hug. "We can take care of ourselves. What kind of friends would we be if we let you fight terrorists by yourselves, anyways?"

"Really crummy friends." Ruby shot back, voice lightening.

"We'll leave you guys to it. Sleep tight."

"Course-"

"One thing." Rainier cut in, voice oddly clipped.

All eyes turned to him.

"Miss Belladonna," He added, getting the dark-haired girl to jolt in surprise. "A question. If I may."

Blake, taking a couple of steps forwards. "What's up?"

"What did you do before coming to Beacon?"

The room seemed to chill with a sudden thick tension, their respective teams turning towards the two golden-eyed huntsmen- DRGN's in confusion, RWBY's in shock.

"I..." She began uncertainly, breaking eye contact with him. "It's... not important."

Daria nudged her friend. "Rain, stop being nosy."

"What's the concern?" He asked, eyes not leaving Blake's. "I had thought it a simple question with a simple answer."

"Rainier."

"What?"

"What's your deal?"

He blinked as he finally turned towards his leader. "...Oh; I suppose it's well-masked if you're not certain what you're looking for."

"Rainier." Blake said warningly, finally meeting his cold gaze again.

"She's a faunus."

Daria blinked, looking back and forth between them. "...Oh. Okay?"

Nash gasped. "Is- is that- is that why you wear the super cute bow?!"

Blake didn't answer, hard eyes locked onto her fellow faunus'.

Rainier leaned against the doorframe, the rest of RWBY tensing in confusion inside the room, their gazes switching back and forth between the duo. " _I_ want to know what the White Fang did to her. Truthfully."

"What's your problem, Rainier?" Yang asked, crossing her arms over her chest with a disapproving frown.

The dark-haired huntress sighed, turning towards her partner. "Yang... it's okay," She turned back to the Vacuoan. "It... a long time ago... I was a part of the White Fang."

The members of DRGN blinked in shock as they stared at her.

Rainier's face, however, went through a lightning-fast series of emotions, lips momentarily curling up into a furious snarl, before fading in sadness, then finally settling back into its cool reservedness. "I see."

"I know," She said, stepping forwards to stand beside a befuddled Ruby. "And I realize what that means. It took me too long to figure out what the White Fang had become. But that's why I'm- we're doing this. They need to be stopped. I get that now."

The Vacuoan said nothing, normally jovial demeanor instead chiseled in stone; though his pale yellow eyes, emotive as ever, were boring into her more vivid golden orbs, dark with distrust.

Daria edged him out of the way. "Blake-" The faunus jolted out of her staredown, turning towards the shorter huntress. "It's okay."

"...Thanks." Blake said quietly, slowly backing away from the door, closer to Weiss and Yang, gaze not again meeting Rainier's.

Ruby sighed, patting Daria's shoulder. "...Okay. Good talk. We'll see you guys tomorrow. Goodnight."

The door closed without the other leader getting a chance to return the farewell.

"Oh. Alright," Daria muttered. "Goodnight."

" _SO_ many questions!" Nash suddenly cried out, getting Daria to hiss at him to be quiet.

She raised an eyebrow at the faunus in question. "No, but seriously, what was that about?"

Rainier shook his head. "It's not important."

"You sure?"

"Of course. Would I ever lie to you?"

* * *

Team RWBY stood, staring at the door for a long few moments.

"He's so strange." Weiss finally said, breaking the silence.

"If that's what you want to call him," Yang muttered, looking sidelong at her partner. "You good, Blake?"

"...Yeah." The faunus said after a moment.

"He got pretty intense there for a second."

"...Yeah. I'm going to bed."

"Hey," Yang said, cutting her off. "We've got your back, you know that, right?"

That brought a tiny smile to the girl's face. "...Thanks, Yang."

"And, if I need to, I'll totally kick his ass."

"I... don't think that's how it would go."

"I take it back, we're no longer friends and I'm kicking you off the team."

Blake chuckled as she laid back down. "...Thanks, Yang."

The other girls followed suit, the lights going out- but not before Weiss stepped up on her bed to look at Ruby. "Hey." She whispered.

"Yeah?" Her leader shot back.

"Do you think it was a good idea involving them?"

"...Well... Why not?"

"I like them... maybe not as much as you guys do, but nonetheless. Think about it; the more people we get involved, the more likely this is to get to Ozpin, and he's the only one who can really stop us."

"Oh, pssh. They ain't snitches."

Weiss shook her head as she lay down. "If you say so."

* * *

Vegas Gold craned his neck, popping it as he surveyed the scene, crouched high above the street. He hummed thoughtfully, putting a hand to his earpiece. "Oh, Cin."

After a moment, her familiarly smooth voice called back, " _Yes, Goldie?"_

"Dunno the circumstances, but some more kids just got out with a meeting with yours and Roman's precious Red."

 _"Oh?"_

"They were there for a hot minute."

 _"Have you maybe considered that maybe they're just kids being kids?"_

"The wolf was there."

 _"Ah... now that_ is _interesting."_

"More pieces to add to the table?"

 _"Maybe... or... well, if they do get involved... it might make a good stress reliever for you."_

"Ooh, I like that idea. Is Phase 2 started yet?"

 _"Not quite. Just a few last minute preparations from the good headmaster. We'll let you know when we are. Sleep tight, Goldie."_

"Always." He muttered as the line went dead, turning his gaze from Beacon, to the shattered moon high above, sitting back down in his collapsible chair, munching nonchalantly on a bag of chips.

* * *

 _"Sleep tight."_


	7. Chapter 2: Nose to the Grindstone

**Chapter 2: Nose to the Grindstone**

* * *

The clock ticked on seemingly neverendingly, black minute hand inching towards the top of the hour, somehow slowing as the seconds passed. Daria stifled a groan, dark eyes glued to the stark white clock face, finger tapping the top of the table- before stopping.

Weiss glared at her friend, clutching the hand tightly. "I _will_ remove it."

The leader of DRGN ripped her limb free, frowning. "You just don't know how to ask nicely, do you."

"The only worse thing you could have been doing was clicking a pen."

"Don't tempt me."

Rainier snorted and shot awake into a sitting position, blinking out of sync, yellow irises hazy. "Are we done?" He muttered.

"Not even close." Daria shot back.

"How are you even _passing_?" Ruby asked across the other two girls with a frown, silver eyes locked onto Rainier's expectantly.

He leaned over his leader towards the short huntress conspiratorially. "Well... _I'm not_." He booped her on the nose, before returning to her seat. Ruby wiggled her nose, stifling a sneeze as Weiss rolled her eyes, the heiress simply returning her attention to the teacher prattling on about mathematics below.

Yang drummed her fingers on the bannister in front of her, sitting a row above the others alongside Blake and Gail. "So..." She muttered, leaning down towards her friends. "Official crimestopper meeting at Dorm RWBY after class?"

"Ooh!" Nash said excitably, turning towards his fellow blonde less discretely. "We gonna fight crime?!"

"...Yeah, Nash," She said, smile thinning slightly. "We've talked about this."

"Oh, pssh, I don't listen-"

"Mr. Aspis!" The teacher called. "You seem to be excited to share. I don't suppose you could walk us through the rest of this problem?"

The boy blinked owlishly as he turned on his heel, plopping back down into his seat, staring with confused blue eyes at the blackboard far below. "Oh! I... well, y'see..." He went silent for a moment, cocking his head to the side, resting it on his arm casually. "You've gotta… well, I was gonna say put those two together and something'll happen, but nah, that's just a buncha random numbers. Maybe try a circle- but, nah, that's just stupid. A 72 degree angle does show up in a star, which could be, like, a pentagon, so the answer's got the golden ratio in there somewhere,"

Slowly, his teammates began to look over at the bored boy in various states of shock.

"Somethin' bout the law of sines? I dunno, that last side could be in two different places. You get the golden ratio from a quadratic equation, so, that's, like 'y' equals the square root of two divided by two... no, naw, it's square root of five divided by two minus one-over-two."

The teacher stared up at him for a moment, before turning back to the board, finishing the problem out for herself. She was silent for a moment, before turning back to Nash. She dropped her papers on her desk and shrugged. "Go home, you guys. You're good to go."

The class wasted no time shooting to their feet, rushing from the lecture hall, some clapping the boy on his shoulder as they passed. His friends, however, simply stared at him in shock as they rose to leave as well. Nash, for his part, didn't seem to concerned with their attention, walking with a skip in his step to the halls.

"Man," He called out, stretching languidly. "I _never_ thought that class was gonna end."

Rainier and Daria shared a look as he continued to walk away. Yang muscled in between them, leaning down to Daria's level and gestured furiously at her. "I am kidnapping him and he is doing my math homework for the rest of the semester, you got that?"

The shorter huntress snorted. "Knock yourself out."

"And how could you be failing with _him_ as a reference at any given time?!" Weiss demanded, marching up to the Vacuoan faunus.

He gave her a noncommitted shrug. "Mostly? I simply block him out. It's done wonders for my sleep schedule."

 _"I'm onto you_ ," The heiress muttered. "Your laziness will _not_ stand."

Daria snorted, but said nothing else.

* * *

"Today's the day, friends!" Ruby yelled out suddenly, making the other seven students jump in surprise. "The investigation finally begins!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I'm glad to see that we're taking this _so_ seriously."

"Hey!" Yang said, offended. "We've got a... mostly serious plan."

"Right! Everyone remember their roles?" Ruby called out, looking over her friends.

Weiss nodded. "You, Gail and I will head to the CCT and check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies. Seeing as I'm family, it shouldn't be a problem."

"The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in there, hopefully I can find out what they're planning." Blake added.

Yang raised her hand. "I've got an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows everything going on in Vale. Rainier and I'll stop by there. Might get hairy, but getting information out of him shouldn't be… _too_ hard."

"And Nash and I'll head into the city, check in with the shop owners that got robbed, see if there's anything that the cops missed." Daria finished, arms crossed over her chest.

Ruby, though, frowned. "Shouldn't someone go with Blake? That could be dangerous."

The dark haired huntress shook her head. "It'd have to be a faunus-"

" _Like Rainier_." Daria said, cutting her off, giving both huntsmen in question a pointed, raised eyebrow.

The duo were silent for a moment, yellow eyes meeting, the Vacuoan opening his mouth with a counterpoint, when-

"Not a bad idea!"

All eight huntsmen jumped as they turned to the window; hanging upside down in the frame was Sun Wukong, tanned face split with a grin, golden furred tail wrapped around something out of sight.

" _Sun_!" Blake yelled, bristling in irritation.

Yang tilted her head curiously. "How did you get up there?"

The monkey faunus shrugged. "It's easy; I do it all the time."

"You do _what?!"_ Weiss shot back, a distrustful scowl painted across her face.

Sun flipped into the room, landing smoothly. "I climb trees all the time. So, we finally getting back at the jerk with the stupid hat?"

Ruby sent a look at the two teams, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, Sun. We don't really wanna get more friends involved if we don't have to."

"Psh, that's dumb!" He turned back to the window. "You should always get friends involved. That's why I brought Neptune."

Daria and Ruby edged forward, staring out the window; lo and behold, the blue-haired huntsman was standing on the ledge just out of view, leaning against the wall coolly. "Sup."

"How did you even get up here?" Ruby asked.

"I have my ways." Neptune shoot back nonchalantly.

Daria raised an eyebrow. "... _Boo_."

The Mistrali huntsman jumped in surprise, giving her a wide-eyed look for a moment, before adding nervously. "Okay, fine, please let me in, we're really high up right now."

The team leaders stepped to the side as Neptune jumped in, slightly panicked.

* * *

The now ten huntsmen stood in a loose circle around the dorm, all looking suitably impatient with the process unfolding before them.

Ruby nodded. "Alright! un, you can go with Blake, and Neptune and Rainier can go with Yang."

Neptune shrugged, letting the shorter huntress push him over to Yang and Rainier's side.

"Sir Vasilias."

"Sir Platina."

The duo exchanged head nods, shaking hands for a moment, before leaning against the wall, arms crossed coolly over their chests, zoning out of the conversation at hand.

Weiss' eyes, however, shot back and forth between them, brightening in interest. She blinked slowly. "Ac…tually, Ruby, why don't you go with Yang, and Gail can go with Daria and Nash?"

The leader of RWBY frowned. "But, Weiss, who would you go with?"

"Well, if you're going with your sister, you two would have everything handled- I mean, if you don't need them, Neptune and Rainier could always come with me. It's a nothing assignment anyways."

The former huntsman gave her a charming smile and duel finger guns, while the latter conversely gave her a mildly shocked, impressed look, hand going to his chest and mouthing in surprise, 'me?'

Ruby stared at them for a few moments, before bursting out into laughter. "Hahahaha, nah." She grabbed Weiss by her collar and pulled her down the hall, still laughing. Gail dutifully followed after them silently.

The remaining huntsmen watched the trio leave, before turning to each other.

Daria sighed, shaking her head. "Fine, whatever, let's just hurry up and do this." The remaining seven took off after the expedition's leader.

* * *

Gail wringed her hands together as she and her companions marched towards the base of Beacon Tower, where the CCT System was located, towering above the surrounding campus like a monolith. Her eyes trailed up its length, letting out a nervous breath.

Ruby, though, was brimming with excitement, bouncing around the other two, silver eyes bright. "Woooow! I forgot how big the tower looks this close!"

"You should see the one in Atlas." Weiss said smugly, arms crossed as they made their way towards it.

"That was the _first_ one, right?"

"Correct." Weiss and Gail said in unison. The Atlesian blinked in mild surprise, turning to Gail with a cocked head. The archer, looking equally surprised at her outburst, averted her gaze to the ground, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"I don't think we've met." The heiress said in interest, looking her companion up and down.

"G-Gail. Cerulean." The lone member of DRGN stammered out, swallowing hard.

The Atlesian curtsied to the archer. "Weiss Schnee, heiress of-"

" _Oookay_ , Weiss, that's good." Ruby cut in, pushing the heiress onwards.

"I was just introducing myself!"

"Aaaand you did. Mission accomplished."

"I was _just_ -"

"'Oooh, look at me, my name's Weiss! I know facts! I'm rich!'" Ruby said in a falsetto high voice, before snickering at the Atlesian's frown.

"Don't be a pest!" The pale girl snapped irritatedly. "Besides, the only reason _we're_ all here is because _you_ like the tower so much! We could have just as easily made a call at the library!"

"I knooow, but it's so cool! Ooh, I'm going to take a picture!"

Ruby fished her Scroll from her pocket, raising it up with a grin at the tower- with far too much momentum, though, the device tumbling from her hands as she let out a squeak of shock, dashing after the Scroll.

Before sliding to a stop, looking up at the girl standing in front of her.

The ginger girl blinked in surprise, looking down at the dropped Scroll. "Oh!" She picked it up, offering it over to the short huntress. "You dropped this."

The leader of RWBY blinked in shock. "... _Penny_?!"

Penny blinked, before her eyes widened, as if just placing Ruby's face. "...Uh..."

"Where have you _been_?! We haven't seen you since that night at the docks!"

Gail and Weiss exchanged a confused glance, the latter crossing her arms, while the former began inching towards the Tower.

"S-sorry," Penny stammered out, waving her hands in front of her. "I think you're confused-" She hiccupped, the Scroll falling out of her hands and into Ruby's. "Uh... I've got to go!" Without another word, the girl turned on her heel, hurriedly marching away.

Weiss blinked. "What was that about?"

Ruby was already going after Penny. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. You go make your call! I'll meet up with you later!"

"Wait!" Weiss yelled, reaching out a hand towards her team leader, before sighing, letting it fall. She turned to Gail, the archer instantly stiffening. "Well, we're already here. Come on."

* * *

The two huntresses stepped out of the elevator into the communications room, the room itself sprawling, littered with dozens of glowing green terminals, a handful of people sat at the computers, in the midst of video calls with others. The two girls walked up to the front desk, a hologram secretary sitting behind it, smiling pleasantly at them.

A series of beeps greeted them, before the AI cocked her head to the side. "Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transmit Center. How may I help you?"

"I need to make a call to Schnee Company World Headquarters in Atlas." Weiss said, voice assuming a well-practiced formal tone.

"Absolutely," The hologram looked down for a moment. "If you could head over to Terminal 3, I'll patch you through."

"Thank you!" The Atlesian said chipperly, waving for Gail to follow her in. Her smile dropped as they passed the front desk. "We could have simply just made the call at the library, but no, Ruby _insisted_ on coming out here- and then she ditches us! That girl sometimes,"

Gail offered the heiress a small, supportive smile as her pale eyes turned towards her.

"In the meanwhile," Weiss continued as they neared their Terminal. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

The archer jolted as the conversation turned from her, looking out towards the walls, searching very carefully for her words. "I-" She shook her head. "I'm just... not used to... being in places like this. T-That's all."

Weiss gave her a slightly suspicious look as she sat down. "Fine. You, just... stand... over there. Yes. There. Perfect," With Gail out of view of the screen, she took a deep, steadying breath, schooling her face back into a polite smile.

The screen came to life, a short-haired receptionist looking down at her desk as the call went through, a replica of Weiss' snowflake emblem spinning lazily behind her. "Thank you for calling the Atlas-" She jolted in surprise as she looked up. "Miss Schnee! Good afternoon! Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister Winter might be here as well!"

"No, thank you! I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me. I've compiled a short list." Weiss said brightly, placing her Scroll into a slot on the keyboard.

"I... see," The operator muttered. "If you don't mind... what may I ask is this for?"

The heiress' eyes shot over to Gail for a split second. "Oh, school project."

"Um... there are some sensitive documents on this list, ma'am."

Weiss smiled. "Then I'll be sure to handle them with care."

"...Right... very well. The data is being transferred to your Scroll now."

The huntress smiled, rising to her feet and giving her partner a _very_ unimpressed, pointed look, aimed towards the operator. "Wonderful. That will be all, then."

Before she could properly leave, however, the woman called over to her, "Are you sure you wouldn't like me to patch you through to your father before you go?"

Weiss' smile dropped for a split second, before coming back to her face. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Well, then, have a nice day!"

The call ended, and the Atlesian sighed, before turning towards Gail with a raised eyebrow. "...I'm lucky you're quiet."

The archer gave her a tiny, forced, nervous chuckle.

* * *

Yang and her bike slowed to a stop, pulling a matching bright gold helmet from her head. She looked around the shady street for a moment, a grin splitting her face. "Alrigh!" She called out. "We're here!"

There was a blur of movement, and Rainier fell from the sky, landing smoothly onto the asphalt below. He gave her a raised eyebrow as he looked around. "...Well... I've been to seedier places."

"And that's why I brought you." She said, giving him a wink and duel finger-guns.

He, however, leaned around the blonde warrior. "Is... he alright, Miss Xiao Long?"

Neptune was looking less than kosher, sat behind Yang; his face a mask of terror and disorientation, blue hair ruffled around his head. "I'm... cool..." He muttered, before shaking his head. "And where is here, exactly?"

"Somewhere dark, and terrible, that harbors a secret very few men and women have the guts to gaze upon," Rainier muttered lowly. "Legend has it-"

"Yeah, no, that's enough!" The Mistrali warrior said, climbing off of the bike and holding his hands up in an 'X'. "I'm good without creepy eldritch nightclubs."

Yang rolled her eyes as she began marching towards the building's entrance. "Oh come on, you big baby. Right inside."

As the trio neared the building, the low thrumming of EDM began to be audible, the frame of the doors glowing with bright lights.

"Hurry, close the door! She's coming!" Someone yelled from the inside, the distant sounds of panic spilling out into the street.

The blonde huntress grinned, giving her teammates a coy look; cocked her fist; and threw a shotgun-aided punch at the double doors, a small explosion sending them flying open, two familiarly black-suited thugs flying away.

"Guess who's back!"

Only a chorus of guns cocking greeted her, a large handful of guards, or henchmen, aiming their weapons at her indignantly. She, however, didn't flinch, instead turning her glare up to the stage, staring the DJ down. He slowly reached up and took the needle off of the record, the club plunging into tense silence.

"Yeah, so… could you define 'friend' for me?" Neptune asked quietly.

A shell fell from Rainier's leg, a grin slowly splitting his face. "That's the thing. Friend. Such a broad term. Give the word, Ms. Xiao Long."

"What is _wrong_ with you people?"

"Stop, stop! Nobody shoot!" A man jostled his way through the crowd; he was tall, and stocky, dressed in a black dress shirt, black vest, black gloves, pants, and boots, and a red tie- which he adjusted as he walked up. " _Blondie_ , you're here!" He stared at her for a moment. " _Why?_ "

Yang smirked. " _You_ still owe me a drink," She grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the bar. "Chill out for bit, guys. This'll take _juuust_ a minute."

Neptune whistled. "What a woman."

"Careful, my friend," Rainier said, sitting down in an unoccupied booth as the music resumed, crossing his legs. "There's a reason she's not part of the game."

"Game? What game?"

The faunus sighed, holding his hands out above him. "Ah, a game of challenge, risk, intrigue, romance. Tis a game for the charming-"

"No more words, I want in."

"I'll see what I can do," Rainier shot back with a charming grin as Neptune joined him. "In the meanwhile- come! Have a drink with me. Non-alcoholic, granted, but a drink nonetheless. "I've been curious for quite a minute of who exactly Neptune Vasilias is!"

* * *

Daria sighed as she and Nash exited the Dust shop. "And... bust."

"Aw, come on," The boy said, jostling her shoulder with his. "I's fun! Like a fantasy game where you gotta run around town!"

"I'm not much of a gamer, Nash."

"Oh. I's like! ...A..." His face fell. "This is _so_ boooring."

"And _there_ he is," She muttered as the partners continued to march along. She turned over her shoulder to where Phalanx was walking on dutifully behind them, humming softly with energy. "Did we really need to bring him, though?"

"Aw, you never know," He shot back, hands folded behind his head, eyes closed. "Sides- maybe we could use him to _intimidate people!_ "

"Why would-"

"You think that's our problem? We're too cute."

" _Cute_."

"We're little munchkins."

"I... that's..." She faltered as she looked down at him. "I think that's the most self-aware I've ever seen you."

"Mmhm. Mama always said that I was cute as a button. And so are you! We're just not intimidatin'."

"Well... you're not wrong."

The duo continued on in silence as Daria led the way, following the directions offered by her Scroll.

"Hey, Daria?" Nash asked after a few minutes, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, bud?"

"You think we're good?"

That made her hesitate, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"Us. DRGN. You think we're good?"

"I... yeah- why, what's up?"

He shrugged, face losing a tint of its usual exuberance. "I dunno. It's, just- like. SOUL's super good, right? They're really, really good. And RWBY are really good too! And JNPR's, like, three-fourths good. Are... we that good?"

"What- of course we are," She put a hand on his shoulder. "What's up, bud?"

"I dunno. I's like, we don't get along as well, and we don't hang out as much, and I can't fight, and Gail can't fight, and Rainier's kinda sorta not there, and you're trying really, really hard and I just feel like we're lettin' you down, and maybe we're not as good as-"

She pulled him into a hug, shaking her head. "Shut up."

"Kay."

Without another word, they continued on, her arm thrown over his shoulder and holding him next to her.

* * *

Rainier bobbed his from side to side to the beat of the song, impatiently, before rolling his eyes. "Come on."

"Wait, _she_ said-" Neptune said, frowning.

"Where's your sense of adventure, man!" The faunus called back, already stomping off after Yang. "Come then, don't be shy!"

The blue haired huntsman groaned, slowly sliding from the rather comfortable seat, begrudgingly following after his current teammate, the two huntsman picking their way through the crowd to the bar off to the side, Yang's trademark golden hair shining like a beacon.

They were still a good several meters from her and her 'friend' when they managed to pick up on the heated argument.

"I haven't talked to him!" The club owner exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "I haven't even seen him since the night you first came in here. He paid up front, I lent him my men, and none of them ever. Came. Back."

Rainier hummed as he and Neptune sat down. "Ah, so those were your men. So sorry about that."

"Also, where did they go?" The latter huntsman finished.

Junior stared at them for a few moments, dumbstruck. "…What kind of stupid question is that?! They never came back! And what do you _mean_ , ' _sorry about that_ '- who- who _are_ these guys?"

Yang leaned forwards so that she was between him and her companions. "Don't worry about them; worry about me if I don't find out what I _want_."

"I already told you everything! Torchwick hired my boys, and I guess he wasn't happy with them- which is SOMETHING I CAN RELATE TO!" He yelled, turning his attention to his men.

Yang sighed. "Come on, guys." With a shake of her head, she rose to her feet, the huntsmen following after her as they marched to the exit of the club.

"Literally _anything_?" Rainier asked, voice a touch softer than usual, speeding up to walk beside her, pale yellow eyes curious.

The lone huntress only sighed again. "Well… we got everything we can. Hopefully everyone else is having better luck."

* * *

Phalanx beeped out surprisingly urgently once, getting Daria to jump in shock. "What the- you stupid-"

"Right." Nash said quietly, turning on his heel and ushering his leader down an alleyway, just wide enough for the mech to enter as well, blocking the entrance.

Daria frowned at her partner as he rather hurriedly led them through the alley, brilliant blue eyes cast to the rooftops. "Nash, hon, what's-"

"We're being followed."

"How do you know?"

"My suit can track auras, silly."

"...Okay... and?"

"Ya hear that beep Phalanx made? That means that a huntsman showed up on his radar."

Daria slowed slightly, mulling the thought over, before blinking in realization. "...Then where are they?"

Nash nodded in agreement. "Phalanx, who's got that aura?"

" _...Not found_." The mech droned back.

"Where they at?"

"... _Ten meters to the right and... twenty meters up_."

"Ooh that ain't good."

The duo picked up their pace, Daria's Infinitas shooting into her hands. "Okay," She muttered quietly. "Here's the plan- you-"

" _Everyone, if you can hear me, we need back-"_ Blake called out urgently from the huntsmen's scrolls.

" _HEEEELLLLP!"_ Sun added helpfully.

" _Big robot!_ " The faunus continued. " _And it's big! Really big! That Torchwick guy is in it! But not, like, it didn't eat him; he's, like, controlling it, or something!"_

"Well, that's as good of an excuse as any," Daria muttered. "Up?"

Nash nodded in agreement, climbing up and into Phalanx as she latched onto the mech's back. With a few bounding steps, the construct leapt into the air with the aid of its thrusters-

And the huntsmen caught the barest glimpse of gold before rocketing onwards towards the freeway.

* * *

"Where are you guys?" Yang asked through her Scroll, Bumblebee racing along the streets, weaving in and out of the other vehicles littering the road.

She didn't need an answer.

Like a bull in a china shop, a hulking silver mech went charging across a street perpendicular to them, a suspiciously familiar panicked scream preceding it.

"I think that was them." Neptune said calmly.

"Yeah, I got it!" Yang called out, skidding to a stop and turning on a dime, speeding off. Her gaze shot to the rooftops- where Rainier was running, similarly turning on his heel, the duo exchanging nods before racing off after their friends.

* * *

Nash barreled across the highway, Phalanx's massive arms pumping hard as the mech whirled around the cars honking irritatedly about him, glowing visor locked firmly onto the opposing mech ahead of him, and Blake and Sun further ahead, leaping from car to car in their frenzied escape. Daria, for her part, simply swung wildly from side to side, clutching onto her partner's mech for dear life.

"I've got him!" Phalanx yelled out, thrusters activating as he prepared for a final leap, leaving the ground after Roman's mech.

And then the thrusters ceased, the internal display of the red-armored robot blaring angrily at Nash. The mech- and its rider- came to a screeching stop, Daria going flying away, hitting the asphalt hard, rolling several meters further.

The sudden stop barely saved Phalanx from the falling blur of gold, a glowing golden sword leading the fall, carving through the highway as if it was nothing. The man leapt to his feet, pulling his sword free, and kicked off of the red mech, sending him hurtling further up the highway, coming to a skidding stop halfway between the two huntsmen. Daria rose to her feet, eyes narrowed at the newcomer.

Vegas Gold turned a victorious grin from Phalanx, to the short huntress, cocking his head to the side with an audible pop. "Welcome to the show, kiddos!"

And he charged at her, Dragon's Fang held high.

* * *

Rainier leapt through the air like a blur of silver, yellow eyes locked hard onto Roman's mech- a gunshot propelled him through the air faster, and he rocketed into the Paladin's side, nearly taking it off of its feet from the blow, kicking off to land onto the asphalt, sparks flying into the air.

"Oh, great, and now the wolf is here!" Roman barked out, turning the mech's gaze to the faunus.

Weiss suddenly leapt up from below, landing onto the highway with Myrtenaster high at the mech, her eyes meeting Rainier's for a split second.

The crime boss growled, turning towards her. "Fine!" He charged ahead, passed the faunus, Rainier already poised to take off after him- instead, the heiress simply plunged her rapier into the ground, a circle of ice covering the pavement. The mech lost its footing, falling through the air, over Weiss- then over the railing, tumbling to fall to the ground far below.

Rainier jogged up to where Weiss was standing at the railing. "Mind if join, my dear?"

She gave him an upturned glance. "You may. Just don't get in the way of any of our team attacks."

"Dear Miss Schnee, I'm hurt! I am an _excellent_ dancer!"

"We'll see about that." With that, the Atlesian leapt from the highway, falling after the mech and where the rest of her team was waiting below.

Rainier moved to follow after her- before stalling with a frown, looking back up towards the way they had come. He caught the deep red of Phalanx, the white of Daria- and an unfamiliar golden blur dancing around the duo with ease.

He hissed in a breath. " _Bollocks_." Without a second thought, he turned on his heel, racing back up the road to his teammates.

* * *

Vegas swung down hard at Daria, narrowly missing as the diminutive leader scrambled away, ringblades held up to defend herself. The criminal went for another wild slash, but feinted at the last moment, leaping up and to the side as Phalanx came crashing down next to him, the pavement shattering under the mech's fist. Gold shot back with a wide swipe, glowing blade carving a distressingly deep gash into the red armor. A surprised smile claimed his face as he hit the ground rolling, looking at the two huntsmen- Daria rising to her feet, grimacing at her opponent, while Nash simply turned his head and looked down at the wound in surprise.

"Look at you two!" He laughed out. "Just a couple of odd ducks. Not made of the sternest stuff, huh, little man?"

Phalanx growled, moving to take a step forwards. Daria, though, raised a hand, getting him to stop. "Who the hell are you, and why are you attacking us?!"

The killer sighed, a hand going to his heart. "That's refreshing, I'm not gonna lie. Not many people ask who I am... they mostly stop at _why_."

"Oh I hate you so much."

He shrugged. "Truthfully, I could be more upset about it. You two, after all, aren't gonna live more than a couple minutes, so digest that as you will," With that, Vegas began marching forwards again, taking his time. Then he stopped, golden eyes going wide. "What the f-"

He wasn't give a chance to finish the thought as a silver blur shot from between the two huntsman, colliding with the killer, a cannon shot sending him flying away. Rainier hit the ground, sparks flying into the air, yellow eyes meeting gold as he scowled. "Do we know this man?"

"No clue." Daria muttered.

"Good. Then no one will mind if I rough him up a little, no?"

"Knock yourself out, dude."

Rainier charged forwards, Phalanx falling behind him, and Daria further back, the trio racing towards the snarling killer. Gold raised his blade up at the last moment, silver metal sliding across gold as the faunus went flying passed, hitting the ground and turning on his heel. Phalanx took the chance to throw a heavy punch, missing as the criminal leapt into the air, planting his boots onto the mech's massive shoulders, pushing off, Dragon's Fang aimed towards Daria as he fell.

He didn't make it, though, a massive hand gripping his ankle and bringing him crashing back into the ground, the pavement shattering under the blow. Rainier was to his side in a heartbeat, leaping up and spinning, silver claws coming down hard onto the killer's back, the asphalt further spider-webbing under impact. Phalanx ripped him back up into the air, tossing him back the way they'd came.

The body of the killer nearly impacted Daria, only missing as she leapt into the air, letting him slide beneath her- and then struck out with both boots, crushing him between her and the highway. She herself, though, lost her balance, stumbling as she returned to the ground.

Vegas took the opportunity to scramble to his feet, tackling the much smaller girl to the ground, pinning her under his weight. He turned furious golden eyes back up to the two approaching huntsman, his blade aimed directly towards her sternum. "I'D STOP THERE," He roared. "UNLESS YOU WANNA SEE HOW WELL DRAGON'S FANG CUTS THROUGH AURA!"

The duo skid to a stop, Rainier's eyes locking onto Daria's. He gave her a tiny shrug- before jolting in surprise. "My friend!" The faunus called out, beginning to saunter forwards. "Perhaps there has been a mistake-"

"Oh, no mistake!" Vegas snapped back. "I'm killin' you all, one way or another!"

"Perhaps _that_ was the mistake!" The Vacuoan gasped in realization.

That made the killer hesitate, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Then a great arrow collided with his side, encasing his entire left side in ice. He let out a cry as went tumbling from Daria, the impact shattering the ice, but leaving his off-arm trembling in coldness.

He looked passed the recovering huntress, the short girl sucking in a breath as her Infinitas shot back to her hands, glaring furiously at her opponent. Further down the highway, looking equally incensed, was Gail; greatbow planted into the pavement, another hulking arrow nocked, this time glowing orange. Daria, recovered, held her blades out at him, pulsating earnestly with green energy.

"It's like you guys _multiply,"_ Vegas hissed, looking around at Team DRGN surrounding him. He rolled his eyes as he cautiously rose to his feet. He let out a bitter laugh, leaning against the railing. "You think they're done then- ohp! Another one shows up. Fine! Sorry, kids, you'll have to see that trick next time!"

Then he plummeted off of the highway. The four huntsmen all rushed to the railing, peering down to the ground far below.

Nothing.

Rainier, Gail, and Nash rushed to Daria's side, the former putting his hands on her shoulders. "Are you alright, Dearest Daria?"

She rubbed the spot on her chest Dragon's Fang had touched soothingly, frowning to herself. "I would have been fine. Guy had barely touched me before that."

"I... right. Nash? Are you alright?"

There was a beat of silence, before- the boy's head replaced Phalanx's. "THAT WAS AWESOME!"

The other three stared at him in various states of awe.

"Yeah, that sums up my day." Daria muttered, sourly stomping away from her teammates, returning her blades to their hooks.

* * *

"So, golden dude with a glowing sword." Yang summed up.

"And garbage references to boot." Daria finished.

"Ouch."

The two teams were gathered back in Team RWBY's dorm room, lazily- and tiredly- lounging around in different states.

"And I didn't lose!" The short girl snapped. "It was just a moment of confusion."

"No one said that you lost..." Ruby muttered.

"You're not helping!"

"Gah why are you always yelling?!"

"And whattabout you guys?" Nash asked, spinning in his appropriated office chair. "Didya get robo-guy?"

Yang sighed. "Nah. He got away. And a new sidekick."

"Ooh new villains!" All eyes turned to the boy. "Wha? Love a good villain faction."

"Nash, these villains are trying to kill us." Daria offered softly.

"Oh, pssh, we're good. We're practically gods!"

"Top ten words said before disaster." Ruby said quietly.

"You need to be more serious about this," Blake prodded, leaning towards Nash. "These are dangerous people."

"Uh huh."

"You're not even listening to me."

"Yes I am."

The faunus shook her head tiredly, turning away from the boy.

Gail leaned forwards, nudging Rainier to get his attention. "You... didn't see the guy? At the docks, I mean?"

The Vacuoan shook his head. "Not a sight. But, perhaps- Miss Belladonna, how about _you_? You _were_ there longer than I was, after all."

"I didn't see him." The girl in question muttered, turning mistrustful eyes to her fellow faunus.

" _A shame_."

"Uh..." Ruby said, eyes shifting back and forth between the two huntsmen. "Hey, how 'bout that pun Weiss made?!"

"Oh gods." Yang muttered.

"I tried, okay?!" The heiress snapped, hitting her fists against her legs. "It was a decent pun!"

"No," The blonde shot back. "It wasn't! I've heard Oracle make better puns than that!"

"What was the pun, exactly?" Rainier asked, turning away from Blake.

"Well!" The heiress began, straightening up. "When he got away- he had his minion and one of them created some sort of illusion that shattered when Yang hit it. And I said-"

"'Well that sure made our plan fall apart!'" Ruby called out in falsetto.

"When you say it like that it sounds terrible!"

Rainier slowly turned from the duo to his own leader. "Dearest Daria, I think it's time we left."

She snickered. "Oh come on-"

"No we need to go, right now, immediately."

Nash frowned. "I don't get it."

"I'll tell you when you're older."

* * *

Shinai closed his eyes, hand wrapped around his blade's handle, other hand held up in front of him as he focused.

His opponent grit his teeth together, battleaxe held in a white knuckle grip, skirting around the side of the platform, eyes locked onto the samurai. Shinai rose slightly, his blade held backwards, parallel with his arm. The other boy looked off to the side, where Goodwitch was watching interestedly.

The samurai lifted his free hand, and gestured for his opponent to come to him.

The boy scowled, but charged forwards nonetheless, battleaxe raised high into the air, swinging it down with as much force as he could muster. Predictably, Shinai sidestepped the slower huntsman, swiping across his back, before twirling Shi En in his hand, taking two quick swipes at the boy's legs, before kicking his foot out from under him, taking a hard step forwards, throwing his weight into the larger warrior's.

The force of the tackle sent his opponent hurtling away, tumbling across the ground. He rolled back to his feet, charging forwards again in frustration. His axe swung through the air, missing as the samurai leapt vertically, one boot planted on the steel axehead, the other striking out to catch the bigger huntsman under the jaw, sending him stumbling away, free hand flying to his face.

Shinai hit the ground in a roll, springing forwards and going on the offensive, a flurry of swipes striking out with lightning fast precision against his opponent, almost sending him off of the stage entirely. The samurai's hand struck out, catching his opponent by his loose shirt, pulling him back towards the safety of the stage- before immediately striking out with the butt of his katana, sending the boy crashing into the ground. The Temple huntsman held Shi En across the back of his opponent's neck, a single eyebrow raised in silent questioning.

The other huntsman groaned, dropping his axe. "I yield."

"And, match." Goodwitch called out, the lights rising again. Shinai's eyes rose to the display high above, to the boy's dark orange aura bar; and his own brilliant green bar. The students in the stands applauded the two huntsmen as the samurai helped his opponent to his feet, giving him a small bow.

"You did well."

The other huntsman snorted. "Yeah. Sure."

"You rushed in when you should have been cautious, despite knowing that I was faster than you. You let your anger get the better of you and made stupid mistakes. Being foolhardy isn't the same as being courageous."

The boy frowned for a moment, preparing at retort... before his face fell, the advice mulling over in his mind. Instead, he simply sighed, and copied the samurai's gesture in a small bow, before marching from the stage.

"Well done, Mr. Kyani," Goodwitch praised, stepping up to join the samurai. "And Mr. Bulwark, you'd be wise to take his words to heart. Considering the length of that last match; would you like another round? Or would you rather let someone else shine."

Shinai thought it over for a moment, before bowing his head. "If you'd like me to, I'm more than willing to have another fight."

"Very well then," She turned her gaze to the crowd. "Do we have any _other_ volunteers?"

The other students didn't make a single sound, not a soul moving.

"Very well. Then I suppose I'll have to choose an opponent," She continued to scan the crowd, before crossing her arms, shifting her weight onto one leg. "Mr. Platina!"

The students around the faunus all jolted, turning to look at him in anticipation. The Vacuoan himself hardly reacted, pale yellow eyes locked onto the stage's inhabitants.

"I'm certain you're raring for another fight with Shinai; your last fight certainly dazzled."

Daria leaned forwards, giving her friend a raised eyebrow, small, coy smile planted on her face.

"No."

The short leader of DRGN blinked, the word taking a moment to process in her mind.

Rainier, though, had never turned from Shinai and Goodwitch, crossing his arms and kicking his feet up onto the bannister.

"Are you certain?" Goodwitch asked curiously, head cocked to the side.

"Always." The word was growled between grit teeth, the faunus' hands subconsciously tightening into fists.

Daria pulled on his sleeve, leaning forwards. "I didn't think you turned down challenges."

He said nothing.

"Alright then," Goodwitch said, scanning the crowd again. "Ah, Ms. Kassandra, you've impressed lately. Would you like to have a round with Mr. Kyani?"

"I- uh- sure. Why not. What's the worst that can happen." A girl muttered as she rose from her feet, making her way down to the stage.

Shinai, however, never took his eyes off of Rainier, narrowed in confusion.

Rainier himself, never looked away either, face carefully blank as he chewed on nothing more than a thought, ignoring the looks of those around him.


	8. Chapter 3: And I Haven't a Thing to Wear

**Chapter 3: And I Haven't a Thing to Wear**

* * *

"THE DAAAAAAANCE!" Nora screamed, shaking the entire lunch table from side to side, head thrown back.

The students grabbed their trays, holding them above their heads to avoid any potential messes, staring at the eccentric huntress with wide eyes.

"Please calm down." Rainier said, holding his food protectively over his head.

The redhead sat back down, but her manic smile never dropped. After a few moments of hesitation, the gathered teams slowly sat down, cautiously resuming eating.

"Okay… and?" Weiss said after a few moments.

Nora trembled in excitement. "…It's a few days awaaaay." She whispered.

"Yeah. Still a few days away." Daria cut in, glaring down at the remains of her drink spilled onto her food.

"But-"

"But what."

Her smile never faded. "The dance."

The table let out a chorus of groans.

"New rule!" Yang called out. "No one is allowed to get super into anything until _at most_ three days away! Deal?"

"Deal." Was the resounding response.

That finally robbed the hammer-wielding huntress of her ecstatic smile. "You guys are no fun. Ren, they're no fun."

Lie Ren simply hummed in response, not taking his eyes from his food, munching happily away.

"Alright," Yang said, leaning back, holding out a hand to number off on. "We've got a few days till the dance, and a couple of days off until then. Then we've got the Holiday trip after that, and then Vytal Festival. What do we want to do until then?"

"Now," Rainier said, leaning back as well and steepling his fingers. "I have what may seem like a trite idea, but hear me out. Perhaps… we… do nothing?"

"Booo."

"Yeah, that's boring." Ruby shot back at the faunus.

"You're boring!" He hissed back playfully, leaning over the table and pointing his fork at her. "Listen, my friends. I have almost died twice now, and we've been here for only a couple of months. I'm looking forwards to the dance and the festival and I'd very much so like to survive to enjoy them. So, whatever it is you plan for us to do- it had better be _obnoxiously_ tame. Do I make myself clear?"

"So in other words who wants to go hunt down the White Fang?" Yang offered, raising her hand.

" _Blasphemy_!"

"Actually, I'm with Rainier." Weiss cut in, leaning on her hand. "I've got the dance to plan and I'm not looking forward to being to caught up in this nonsense-"

"Nonsense?" Blake hissed. "Nonsense?! The White Fang is _nonsense_?"

"That's not what I meant-"

"Then what did you mean! We can't just act like it's no big deal! It's a very real threat, and you can't just hide behind the dance to avoid it!"

"You're one to talk." Rainier shot back very casually.

Blake's face twisted into a look of distrust as he lazily turned yellow eyes to her own. "And what does that mean?" She muttered lowly.

The wolf faunus was not fazed. "If I recall our encounter in the hallway correctly, you're... shall we say, the pot calling the kettle black."

"I was wrong to join them!" She hissed, leaning forwards towards him, voice just low enough so that only the people at the table could hear her. "I didn't see that then- what do you want me to do? I'm trying to make it right."

Rainier leaned across the table as well. "Tell me, then, Miss Belladonna, how many people have you-"

Blake shot to her feet, tray held in her hands, and turned, and left without hearing another word.

"Rainier!" Daria hissed, shoving the faunus roughly. "For gods' sakes. Leave her alone."

"I suppose none of you have been paying attention. As far as I'm concerned, she-"

He was roughly cut off as a gloved fist slammed down into the table in front of him. He blinked at it, then followed the arm it was attached to- to the face of Yang baring down towards him- lilac eyes now a deep red, golden hair glowing and even rising slightly as she quivered in rage.

"You. Do not. Get to talk to her like that. Am. I. Clear?"

Rainier blinked owlishly. "Uh… I… yes."

Yang glared down into his eyes for a few more moments before turning and storming off.

"Why are you such a dick?" Lance asked the faunus as they watched the blonde warrior storm off elsewhere.

Rainier shook his head. "Perhaps I have my own reasons. I don't like the White Fang. Must it be more complex than that?"

"For you to insult our teammate?" Weiss asked coldly, arms crossed. "Yeah. It had better be more complex than that."

"Very well, how about when some of her friends ransacked my home and…" he trailed off. "And…" He swallowed. "They did something unforgivable."

"What?" Nora asked, blue eyes boring into the faunus, alongside the rest of the assorted huntsmen.

"They…" He shook his head. "It's not important. Weiss, Ruby. I apologize. I spoke out of turn. Do… tell Blake I apologize when you see her. If you need me, I'll be outside. You do know my number." With that, he rose to his feet and bowed slightly, leaving his food and friends behind.

Lance leaned back in his seat. "Why is everyone here so melodramatic?"

Ruby frowned. "I dunno. That makes a good huntress?"

"But what about me!"

They all stared at him, before Ulysses snickered derisively.

"I walked right into that one, I know. Still! Here- here's my backstory. I was a boy. Then I was a teen. Then I was a mercenary-"

"Woah woah woah!" Oracle yelled, waving her hands for him to slow down. "What the what?"

"Oh. Yeah. That's… not a normal thing?"

"No!" Was the resounding reply.

"What do you mean you were a mercenary?" Pyrrha asked, frowning in… tiny, slight distaste.

"I mean… I got kicked out of my house, and- see, this stuff isn't important! I don't want to join the melodramatic peoples' club. Point is, it was boring and I decided to come here instead. Nothing _cool_ happened. It was just a thing. Does _anyone_ else have normal upbringings?"

Ruby, Oracle, Jaune and Daria raised their hands. As did Weiss, for a split second, before slowly lowering it.

"My point made!"

Daria rolled her eyes. "You're lucky no one dates you for your winning personality."

"...Thank you?"

* * *

Rainier hummed to himself as he walked along the concrete path, hands stuck in his pockets as he cleared his head in the brisk air. Slowly, without opening his eyes, he slowed to a stop- and turned to the side.

Blake was sitting with Sun, the former looking sufficiently broody, while the latter just seemed to be enjoying the company. They were talking casually, the girl's back to Rainier while Sun was looking in his direction- though his eyes were closed.

With a heavy sigh, Rainier turned and began walking towards the other faunus. Sun opened his eyes as he neared, and blinked. "Wuh-oh." He said, before ducking low to say something to Blake.

She stiffened and straightened up, turning over her shoulder to the Vacuoan faunus. "What do you want?"

Rainier stopped just short of the shade the tree the other two huntsmen were sitting under afforded them. "Do you know a man by the name of Adam Taurus?"

Blake paled at the name. " _What_?"

"I'll take that as a yes. Do you know a town by the name of 'Tear's Fall'?"

"No."

"It's a Vacuoan settlement, in the southwest; out of the way of Vacuo City. It's-"

"Wait you're from Vacuo?" Sun cut in, shooting to his feet with a beaming expression.

"I… yes?" Rainier asked with a frown, line of thought violently derailed.

"That's awesome! Wait... you must be a Platina!"

The former faunus turned his gaze from him, to Blake, back to him. "I... yes? I feel as if we're having two separate conversations."

"Man, a White Wolf! What brings you all the way out here?"

"I'm... just here for the school. You must be Vacuoan as well."

"Oh, yeah, I'm from the capital."

"Ah."

"Sorry, sorry, get back to your story."

Rainier shook his head. "No, it's fine. That would explain the unbuttoned shirt. Anyhow. I…" He sighed, and the strength flooded from him. "The story's not important. Blake- I... I don't hate you. But I do hate who you were. There's a difference."

"What do you want me to do? I was wrong. I'm trying to make up for that."

The wolf faunus turned on his heel and began walking away. "But can you? What is it your people say? 'From Shadows'? How, exactly do you escape that?"

And with that he continued on his walk away, leaving his fellow faunus behind.

* * *

The night sky glittered with stars high above the peaks of Beacon, and Shinai found himself reflexively counting them from his perch atop the roof.

"You can come out." He called quietly, not turning purple eyes from the sky.

There was an uncertain scuffling- and Daria crossed the peak of the roof, staring owlishly at the samurai.

"Daria Copper." He greeted, turning finally to her.

"Uh… hi."

The two huntsmen stared at each other for a long few moments, before Shinai finally cocked his head slightly to the side. "Can I help you."

"I, uh…" She replied lamely, finally shuffling down towards him. "Well… not really, but… kind of."

He simply raised an eyebrow in response.

The short warrior uncertainly sat down next to him, drawing her knees into her chest. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"The leader thing."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the micro-management, and the team-building, and the training, and the assignments, and the… everything. I don't even know where to begin."

Shinai sighed and crossed his legs. "What works for me and my team won't work for you and yours. We are different people-"

"I knooow! But I'm not even sure what I'm doing. Between the planning and- and- Ruby's got a better grasp of it than I do- I think even Jaune does, and that's sad. That's so sad."

He said nothing for a long few moments. "…Do they believe in you?"

"Who? My team?"

"Yes."

"I… I don't know?"

"That's your problem. I run my team tightly. But they know that I can do it. Do they know you can do it?"

"I… that's a very good question."

Shinai closed his eyes again. "I don't know you, Copper. I don't know how you work. But you know them. You just need to ask more questions."

"Okay." She nodded earnestly, filing the information away for later.

The two team leaders sat quietly for a while, saying nothing- simply enjoying the night air.

"Did you come up here just to talk to me?" He finally asked, face not betraying any emotion.

"Uh… no. I didn't even know you came up here- is this a nightly thing?"

"No. Why are you up here?"

Daria averted her gaze and pushed some hair out of her face nervously. "I, uh… sleep-walked up here."

That drew a confused reaction from Shinai. "You… sleep-walked up here?"

"It's a problem."

The samurai sighed. "It's comforting to know that your team has its own odd quirks as well."

"Oh, you've got no idea."

* * *

"AAAAAAH!"

"STOP YELLING!"

"NOOOOO!"

"DARIA, MAKE HIM STOP!"

" _BOTH OF YOU STOP, YOU'RE MAKING A SCENE_!"

Nash and Lance both froze in their places, staring with differing levels of shock at the diminutive huntress.

"Geez, you don't need to yell." Nash muttered.

"Yeah, don't be a-"

"Lance." Shinai cut in from his spot leaning against the wall, vein throbbing in his forehead in irritation.

"What? I was gonna say a… uh…"

Oracle shook her head. "Let it go, hon."

"Kay."

Rainier turned an amused gaze to Weiss. "Please tell me that you don't have anyone like Lance or Nash?"

* * *

Ulysses sighed as he leaned against his motorcycle- old and, of course, painted black, standing out starkly from Yang's own bumblebee yellow sports bike. The music in his headphones blared loudly, bleeding out into the open air as he waited impatiently for the more vain and likely to dance students to finish shopping.

He frowned and cocked his head at a black suited man standing across the street, shifting uneasily.

"Oh?"

* * *

"I'm not sure," She replied. "But Jaune's got a pretty great scream. Show them, Jaune."

Jaune frowned. "I uh… what do you mean by a great scream?"

Nora chuckled. "She means your girly scream."

"I do not have a girly scream!"

"You… kind of do." Pyrrha cut in, wincing as she spoke.

The blonde leader gasped in shock. "You really think I do?"

"I mean… it's… quite high-pitched."

Weiss gave a pointed look to Rainier. The faunus chuckled. "I shall take your words for it. For what it's worth, Jaune, I…" He trailed off, frowning. "I don't have anything quite as embarrassing, actually. Hm. Carry on, my friend."

Jaune bowed his head in shame.

"Rubes can get pretty excitable." Yang offered, nudging her little sister pointedly.

"Well, yeah. But only when it's worthy!" Ruby shot back.

"Shopping's worthy."

"Is nooot."

"So is."

* * *

Ulysses frowned at the briefcase held in the man's hand. And the rather obvious gun tucked into his belt.

"Oh." He muttered, rising from his position and walking into the street.

* * *

"Daria?"

Daria shook her head. "I'm with Ruby."

"Ha."

Yang frowned. "Don't you fight in a dress?"

Rainier raised an eyebrow curiously, stepping around to stand by Yang's side, copying her expression as they both stared at the tanned-skinned girl.

"Okay, first off, I have one dress made of, like, leather- and I have six of those. That I wear when I'm doing stuff. Otherwise, I wear, like, sweats. All the time. Okay."

Ruby extended a hand. "Preach, sistah."

Daria high fived the hand, the duo crossing their arms.

Lance slid towards them, smile planted on his face. "Ladies, ladies, I-"

*Crash, smash, clatter, thud*

The assorted members of the four teams all turned and gave blank looks to the man sitting inside the far wall, arms, legs, and head hanging out as he groaned in pain.

The huntsmen followed the very clear line of destruction following him, back to the front window of the shop, and to Ulysses standing on the other side, straightening up from his position having thrown the man.

"There's Torchwick's men across the street." The hulking teen mumbled, turning on his heel back towards the aforementioned thugs.

"Oh." Daria said quietly.

"Who… brought their weapons?" Lance asked unsurely.

"I did." Rainier offered, his Wolf's Claws clicking as the cannon slid from his knee.

"Yoooou don't count."

"Mhm."

Ruby smiled nervously and whipped Crescent Rose from its box form at the small of her back. "Aha… me?"

And then, one by one, each huntsman and huntress pulled their weapons out and rushed towards the street.

Leaving Lance standing alone in the shop. "Apparently just not me, okay. Can't even go out and shop like normal people…" He muttered as he began picking his way through Ulysses' destruction.

* * *

Rainier hummed to himself as he ducked and dodged the men throwing rather sloppy punches at him.

Really, fourteen huntsmen and huntresses was far too many, he lamented as he leapt and stomped into the back of the thug riding Ulysses' back, the thug letting out a yelp of pain as he compacted inwards, falling from the brooding teen.

"You alright, big man?" Rainier asked.

Ulysses simply grunted as he hefted a thug up with one hand, slamming him into the ground with a cringe-worthy 'crunch'.

"Good man." The faunus said, patting Ebony on the back as he turned on his heel towards the fight proper.

There had to have been about three dozen of the thugs, and that was not nearly enough. Ruby was like a red blur as she dashed to and fro to where she needed to be in the fight; Yang was simply content to smash a way through the ranks of the men, gunshots from her bracers filling the air in rapid fire.

Weiss had found herself back to back with Daria, the two huntresses twirling as a blur of the Schnee heiress' glyphs and the short team leader's laser discs surrounded them like a violent, bright tornado.

Shinai was a twirling whirlwind of steel as his katana flowed around him, and- as Rainier watched- expertly halving any stray bullets that neared him. Oracle, for her part, was currently riding atop Nora's shoulders, firing haphazardly as the ginger huntress swung her enormous hammer with ridiculous ease, cackling as the tower of violence carved their way through the thugs. Lie Ren followed less enthusiastically, seemingly content to let his teammates deal with the current problem.

Pyrrha and Jaune had linked up, with the former doing the heavy lifting as she expertly switched between her weapon's sword and spear modes with ease, twirling the red and gold weapon while Jaune met most of the criminals who got to close with a shield bash.

And Lance. Rainier shook his head.

Lance was currently embroiled in a fist fight with two of the thugs.

The blonde huntsman had his hands up in a boxing stance, the trio circling each other. He sighed and dropped his guard. "Alright, guys, you've got me- OH MY GOD, WHAT IS THAT?!"

The distraction was apparently enough to work, as he pointed up to the sky with a horrified expression, and the two fell for it.

He very swiftly kicked one below the belt with all the force his steel-toed boots could muster, spun, and grabbed a handful of loose gravel knocked away in the melee, and hefted it up into the other thug's eyes, garnering dual screams from them- one much, much higher than the other.

Striking quickly, he sent a snap jab into the latter thug's throat, simultaneously kicking out and yet again striking the former thug's nether regions, getting him to drop to his knees in pain. A head butt to Thug #2, and another sideways kick to Thug #1 ended the fight quickly. He huffed, and straightened his jacket.

"Who needs a Greatsword anyways?" He muttered, looking around disdainfully.

* * *

Rainier rubbed the back of his neck as the police officer thanked him profusely, recognizing him from the last time he'd taken part in a battle royale with criminals.

"And where is-" He began, whirling around to the other students.

"Hi, I'm here!"

All eyes turned back to the window of the clothes shop- sitting on the sill, an ice cream cone in hand, was Nash.

"Where were you?" Daria asked, frowning.

"Oh. Well, I didn't have my suit, so I figured, I wasn't gonna be much help. So I got ice cream."

Yang crossed her arms. "You've been there. The entire time?"

"Uh huh."

"And you didn't help?"

The boy shrugged, taking another bite of his ice cream.

"Yeah that sounds about right."

"I quit!" Daria yelled. "That's three times! I just want to dance."

"Yes, I agree," Rainier added. "I'd made a vow that I wouldn't get in anymore life or death fights, yes? It was a vow I intended to keep.

"Oh, pfft, that's boring," Yang shot back. "Tell him Rubes."

"Why do stuff like… other stuff when we could be stopping bad guys!" Ruby, in turn, added. "It's waaaay more fun."

"Nash?" Rainier asked.

The boy simply blissfully continued to eat his ice cream, not reacting whatsoever.

"We'll… call that an abstainment."

"Well…" Pyrrha began, as the four teams stood around awkwardly while the police worked to clean up the scene. "I guess we go home?"

"Ah, yep."

"Definitely."

"No doubt."

"Can't wait for this day to be over."

"Okay," Oracle said. "See you guys tomorrow?"

"Don't forget the DAAAAANCE!" Nora yelled as she began running for the sake of… simply running, sprinting in place.

Weiss nodded in agreement. "I better see you all there." She pointed at Shinai, narrowing her eyes.

The samurai simply stared back emotionlessly.


	9. Chapter 4: Minutes to Midnight

**Chapter 4: Minutes to Midnight**

* * *

"Get your Opossum Man, free Opossum Man, not taken, looking for a date to the dance- get your Opossum Man-"

"Lance." Shinai said evenly.

The blonde turned to his leader with a smile. "C'mon, pumpkin, it's a dance! You need a babe to dance _with_."

"No. I really don't."

Zaffre nodded. "Oh, I get it. Not a babe then? Alright, I can swing that, I'm sure we can find a du-"

"Lance."

The shirtless huntsman shrugged. "Oh well. Worth a shot. Wonder if Daria's got a date?"

"Let me guess. You want to go ask."

"You betcha!"

"And you want me to go with you."

Lance rounded on Shinai, holding the samurai's shoulders- an action that made the brunette frown in distaste- and stared into his eyes. "I guarantee you; Rainier's going to be there."

 _That_ peaked Kyani's attention. "And why does that matter?"

"Because you two got your _reaaally_ weird thing going on and I need you to distract him while I ask."

"…You want me to be your wingman."

"The best."

* * *

When the two huntsmen found the aforementioned D and R of Team DRGN, they also found the N, and Y of Team RWBY, sitting around one of Beacon's many water fountains- simply enjoying the setting sun, it seemed.

Rainier perked up as Lance and Shinai approached, elbowing Daria.

"Hey, guys!" Yang yelled, waving at the duo.

"Nice evening, huh?" Lance greeted coolly, sitting down next to the DRGN team leader.

Xiao Long's eyes flitted from Daria and the other blonde, before subtly turning to Shinai, raising an eyebrow.

The swordsman didn't exactly respond, simply staring coolly back at Yang, purple eyes affirming. She made a noise of understanding and nodded. "Hey, Nash, wanna see something cool?"

The boy blinked. "Maybe. That sounds like a trick. How cool?"

"Like, blow something up cool."

"Oh. Yeah. Definitely."

They two blondes rose to their feet, and Yang held up three fingers for Shinai, eyebrows raised to convey the message. He simply nodded, turning to Rainier.

And the faunus was grinning widely, pale yellow eyes obviously not fooled one bit.

Kyani rolled his eyes. Lance looked between the two warriors, frowning. "Hey, Shinai, didn't you have something you needed to ask Rainier? Like, something super important?"

Rainier shrugged. "I'm certain whatever it is he must ask me, can be asked right here, right now, no?"

"It's important." Shinai droned.

"Yes, your voice is simply _dripping_ with urgency."

Lance threw his hands up. "OKAY, COOL, THAT'S FINE," He shook his head, turning to the tan huntress, who was looking at the trio of guys in confusion. "Hey, so the dance is tomorrow."

"Okay?"

"You going with anybody?"

Her brown eyes widened quickly in realization. "Oh. OH! Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, Lance," The blonde Huntsman sighed, but didn't look too nonplussed, rather, shrugging slightly as if it was no big deal. "I'm going with Rainier."

"WHAT." Lance yelled, shooting to his feet.

"We weren't going with anybody, so… we figured we'd just go together. Like, a super casual thing, though."

"OH, _YOU_." Lance said, turning flaming blue eyes to the faunus.

Rainier turned to Shinai. "You had something you wanted to ask me? I feel as if dear Lance should be given a moment to relax. Perhaps dunk his head?"

"OH GODDA-"

Shinai nodded, and started walking away, unconcerned with Lance's frustrated rantings behind him, the faunus rising to join him.

* * *

The two huntsmen walked silently along Beacon's campus, Rainier's hands thrown behind his head as they watched the sun set behind the horizon.

"A question." Shinai finally said, breaking the silence.

"Of course."

"What's going on?"

Rainier turned his eyes towards the sky. "Well, it's quite a temperate day, and I'm enjoying a walk at the moment. What is going on with you?"

"I don't enjoy games, Platina. You're off. The scene at Goodwitch's class. Avoiding my team and I altogether. I want an explanation."

Rainier smiled, though it wasn't a full one. "Always so to the point," His smile fell completely. "Are you applying for the Vytal Festival?"

"What?"

"Is Team SOUL applying for the Vytal Festival. Tournament, I mean."

"Yes."

Rainier stopped, nodding to himself. Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving a befuddled Shinai standing by himself as the sun set behind him.

* * *

Rainier's metal foot thumped loudly against the carpet of the library, filling the nearly quiet room, joining the lone sounds of the librarian reading, and someone typing. Sitting down at a computer, he stared at it quietly for a few moments, watching his reflection quietly.

"Rainier."

The faunus looked up as the typing stopped- across the way from him, sitting at a computer of her own, was Blake Belladonna.

"Belladonna."

He took a moment to look at her; her more vibrant yellow eyes were tired and hazy, dark bags hanging under them. Her posture was slouched over at her computer, form in a rare… _vulnerable_ state. Introductions done, she turned back to her screen, eyes emptily taking in the information on it.

Rainier turned back to his own computer for a few moments before sighing. "If my words had hurt-"

"Your words didn't do anything. You think I care that much about what you think?"

The former faunus stared at her for a moment longer, eyes slowly narrowing. "You're _not_ alright."

"Why do you care."

"I don't. But I do know people who do."

"We're done here."

And that was the end of the conversation. He shrugged, not entirely too upset by her response, tapping at his computer for a few moments, experimentally searching different keywords. It only took a few moments before Blake shot to her feet, irritated, and stalked off determinedly- though, not looking _entirely_ put off by him. Rainier didn't miss the flash of yellow hair before the other faunus disappeared into an aisle.

Turning back to his screen, he was greeted with a glowing link, staring out at him: 'The Temple of Patch'.

* * *

"SHUT UP AND _DAAANCE!"_ Nora cried out, grabbing Ren's hand and dragging him into the middle of the dance floor, the ninja giving Lance one last terrified look before disappearing into the throng. The blonde swordsman snorted, before taking a swig of his drink, gargling it before swallowing.

The ballroom bustled with activity, spilling out into the dark night beyond, lights flashing energetically; the grand hall was filled to the brim with students representing all four Kingdoms, comingling quite efficiently, most of the ground floor dedicated to dancing, a DJ placed at the front of the stage who was conversely switching back and forth between enjoying his job, and cowering under Weiss' furious glares.

"Oh, that's not right." Lance muttered as he gave said offending drink a sour look. Then proceeded to almost drop his cup as Oracle rather roughly bumped his hip with hers, a grin splitting her face. He looked her up and down for a moment, taking in her well-dressed appearance, before downturning his lips, unimpressed, looking back out into the crowd.

"Oh come on," She said, smile dropping. "It's the one time I'd let you get away with being... _you_ and not a single compliment?"

"Nope."

"You're such an ass," He snickered as they both turned back to the dance floor, after a moment, she gave him a suspicious look. "And where the hell is your date?"

"Don't got one." He said flatly, taking another drink of punch.

"Oh shut up."

"That one's not a lie."

"Really?" She asked. "You. Don't got a date. What, already piss off the whole female populace? Come on, every school is here- there's gotta be _someone_ who doesn't know who you are."

"I waited too long," He muttered back with a shrug. "Sides- dances aren't my thing anyways."

"I... yeah. I could see that."

"Alright," He shot back, looking down at her with a cocked eyebrow. "Where's your date then."

"Oh, he's..." She trailed off, face souring. "Thought he was cute. Turned out to be an ass."

"Like, 'you're such an asshole!'? Or, 'Lance gotta go knock someone's teeth in, asshole'?"

She gave him a small chuckle. "I dealt with 'im already. Remind me not to date sketchy Mistrali guys."

"Oh, come on, Team SSSN aren't that bad."

The gunslinger burst out into laughter, doubling over, before wiping a stray tear from her eye. "Where was that bite when we used to chirp?"

"I told you; I only save my best material for a worthy challenge."

"And... SSSN are worthy challenges."

"Nah. But it sounded good."

They shared a sigh, before she nudged him again. "Alright. I'm gonna go find someone to bother. Stop standin' here, you're gonna ruin your reputation." With a smack to the chest, she sauntered off, peering around the crowd for other friends.

Lance watched her go for a minute, before downing his drink. He grimaced at the punch again, before tossing the empty cup to the side. "You're not wrong!"

With that, he cocked his head to the side, popping his neck, and grinned widely, marching out into the crowd.

* * *

Weiss rushed to and fro, pale eyes irritated as she readjusted streamers and banners, barked at the DJ, and continually refilled the punch bowl- even as she weaved, and pushed around dancers, music filling the air in Beacon's ballroom as the dance raged in full swing. She stormed forwards- then skid to a stop, back-tracking and turning irritated eyes to Daria. "And _where is Rainier_?!"

The leader of DRGN pulled at the black fabric of her jacket uncomfortably. "Uh… _excellent question_." The Team DRGN leader let out a breath she had been holding in, slumping, pulling at her sleeves in discomfort.

The Atlesian stared at her friend, before frowning. "I haven't seen him... but, when he gets here, you tell him that..." She trailed off at the look on the other girl's face. "...What's wrong?"

"I haven't seen him in, like, five hours."

"Oh."

"...Yeah."

The heiress mulled the thought over for a moment, before pushing Daria forwards. "Well, don't just stand here! Go, have fun- I demand it."

The diminutive huntress gave her friend a small smile as she stormed off, shaking her head. "Sure. Me. Have fun. At a dance," She sighed. "Gods, Gail, you lucky girl."

* * *

Shinai hummed to himself, leaning against the second floor's bannister, staring down at the other teens below, a glass of water in hand and a slightly bored, if not bemused expression tinting his face.

"Caped Opossum!" A very familiar voice called, rousing him from his silent musing. He turned curious purple eyes to the side where Nash was waiting, bouncing and buzzing very visibly.

"I'm sorry?" The samurai muttered, the familiar name stirring rather intense feelings of distaste.

The diminutive boy jumped onto the bannister, taking a seat, nodding. "You look like Waylon Branson, the Caped Opossum. When he's not a superhero, he's a billionaire playboy philanthropist, and goes to all sorts of things like this. You look just like 'im."

Shinai gave a short chuckle (more akin to a sudden, loud breath than a laugh). "...Enjoying the dance?"

The boy shrugged. "I dunno."

"And why not."

"I kinda just wanna sit but girls keep comin' up to me askin' me to dance. I'm too cute."

The samurai looked over the rather distracted boy for a moment, before shaking his head. "Is that truly a weakness?"

"I dunno. I just wanna sit and drink punch. Why aren't you down there?"

Shinai only gave him a silent look for a long few moments. Nash stared right back, curious expression not waning once. After a moment, the older huntsman sighed. "I don't enjoy these things."

"Then why come?"

"My team wanted me to."

"You're a cool cat, Mr. Kyani."

The samurai turned slightly narrowed eyes to the boy, before giving a more genuine chuckle.

"Wha?" Nash asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Nothing. Something just struck me."

"Kay, cool-" The boy's eyes widened as the song changed. "OM GODS, THIS IS MY JAM- BYE, MR. KYANI!" The boy dropped off of the bannister to the floor below, charging into the fray, leaving Shinai standing above, slightly bewildered.

"Children." He said, shaking his head with a small smile.

* * *

Daria uncomfortably stumbled forwards, struggling in her heels as she searched for her date. As she passed by the punch table, though, she came to a stop, looking over to where Ruby and Jaune were standing quietly, looking rather forlorn.

"Oh. Hey Daria." The former said quietly.

"Hi." The latter muttered, sipping at his punch.

She sighed and stopped next to them, leaning down to rub comfortingly at her heels. "You guys haven't seen Rainier, have you?" A chorus of nos greeted her. She sighed. "Awesome. What are you two doing?"

"Oh." Ruby started again.

"You know." He continued.

"Being introverts."

"Wanna join?"

Daria stared at them for a moment, before groaning. "Gods I wish. If I don't find Rainier, keep a spot warm for me."

"Can do." Ruby said, mustering as much energy as she could

The shorter huntress sighed and continued to trudge on, hope waning as the dance continued into the night. She skirted around the edge of the dance floor, peering in at the dancing crowd with a frown, searching for Rainier's telltale silver hair (or silver tail, or silver leg), to no avail though.

"You look lost!"

Daria rubbed the back of her neck as she turned around to Lance's curious face. "A...ha... a little bit."

The swordsman leaned forwards so that he could hear her over the thrum of the music. "Where's Rainier at?"

"Honestly, I was hoping you of all people could tell me."

He stared at her for a few moments before groaning, letting his head fall back, accidentally bumping a dancer, getting a glare in exchange. "This is what he gets!"

"What?"

"He's such a dick. We play the game, and he sucks at it- he does the friggin' impossible! And throws his chance away. Just- just throws it away. I'm actually kinda impressed!"

"You've actually completely lost me."

"Not important," He shook his head. "I haven't seen him since this morning. Hey, if I see him, you want me to point you to him, or just hit him myself?"

Daria sighed, face falling. "Honestly... just tell him he's an asshole."

"Hey- chin up. The wolf's a dick, we all know this. Tell you what, if I don't find him- you can have a dance."

That made her laugh. "And that's a prize?" He gave her a wink as he backed up into the crowd, slowly disappearing. She shook her head, before backing away, struggling in vain to peer above the universally _much_ taller teenagers. "Where are you?" She pulled her Scroll out, calling her friend. The line rang for a few moments, before going to voicemail.

Just like the last five times she'd tried it.

She sighed in defeat, dragging herself elsewhere.

* * *

"You mind?" Lance called out, getting Oracle to jump in shock, turning from Yang and some of her other friends with wide, green eyes.

"What? Mind what?" She asked, voice filled with disbelief.

He extended a hand to her. "I'm not _great_ at dancing, but..."

She blinked, staring at the offered limb. "Zaffre, are you... asking me to _dance_?"

"Cats and dogs are living together, Rainier's not a dick, the gods have returned, lots of miracles are happening tonight."

The gunslinger put a hand to her chest, giving him a coy look. "I'll have you know, I have a very high standard of dancing partners."

"Fair- counter point, it won't be the first time I've stepped on your toes."

"Fair!" She laughed, taking his hand. "Fine. Don't get handsy though, I will beat your ass."

"Hey, a promise is a promise."

Almost on cue, the music slowed to a more lethargic song, getting Oracle to sigh as the duo came together, slow dancing contently. After a moment, Lance sighed. "Hey, O?"

"Yeah?" She asked quietly, voice almost sleepily comfortable.

"You look good."

"Thanks, hon. You don't look like you just woke up and decided your bath robe was all you needed for the day."

"Man, I just can't win with you."

"That'd be too easy."

The duo lapsed back into silence. The swordsman looked up- to where Yang was staring with a beaming grin, lilac eyes sparkling with mischief. She gave him two thumbs up, getting him to give her a stern, sour look, mouthing _'no!'_ repeatedly at her.

* * *

"Cin, we've got a problem." Vegas Gold said into his communicator, looking out over the campus.

" _What problem?_ " Cinder purred back through his earpiece, though her voice dripped with venom and _dared_ him to tell her a problem.

"The faunus- the wolf one- never went into the dance."

" _And?_ "

"And I don't know where he is. AKA, that could be a problem."

" _I'm not afraid of one little huntsman, Goldie_."

"Nah, but how about a few hundred?"

" _Then find him."_

"Ha. Good luck with that. This place is huge, and he's not in their room. Do you see him in there?"

" _In the midst of all of these brats? I don't think so. Find him._ "

Vegas sighed as the line went dead, staring down at the darkened campus. "The things I do…" He muttered, before stepping off the building.

* * *

Rainier huffed as he spun gracefully, feet and hands lashing out to strike the targets- little, glowing blue holograms spinning gently around him. Sweat poured down his face as he pushed himself to go faster, silver leg shifting and moving almost nonstop as he continued the exercise, cannon shots filling the room.

In a few short moments, all of the targets were gone, and he fell to one knee, catching his breath, pulling his shirt off and throwing it to the side. A blue square came up in front of him, reading: ' _ROUND NUMBER: 28. BEST RECORD: 36 sec. LAST RECORD: 37 sec. WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AGAIN?'_

After a moment, he pressed ' _YES'_.

He rose to his feet, and dozens of small circles began swirling around him again. He wasted no time before leaping into the air, cannon firing.

* * *

Shinai sighed as he stared out at Beacon from the ballroom's balcony, enjoying the cool air and the blissful quiet.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

He turned at the voice; Pyrrha was standing in the doorway, dressed in a glimmering red, sleeveless dress, looking abashed.

"It's fine." Shinai said, turning back to the night sky.

"Enjoying the dance?" She asked politely.

He grunted noncommittally, before turning back to her. The warrior looked… alone.

"Are you alright?" He finally asked, quietly.

She jumped with a start at the question, green eyes locked onto the samurai. "I- I, no, no, no, I'm fine."

His purple eyes boring into her told her he didn't believe it. She sighed and opened her mouth to say something.

"Pyrrha?"

Both warriors turned to the staircase leading up to the balcony as Jaune stepped out, looking concerned.

The huntress sighed sadly. "Hello, Jaune."

The blonde walked towards them. "You okay? I haven't seen you tonight."

Pyrrha sent a quick look to Shinai. "Arrived late, I'm afraid."

"Well, you _look_ really nice."

She turned on a dime to him, green eyes opening wide, hand shooting to her mouth. After a moment, she schooled her face back into nonchalance, hand dropping. "Thank you."

Jaune's eyes, however, shot to Shinai and he winced. "You're, uh… not going to beat me up for that, are you?"

The samurai stared in confusion for a moment, before making a noise of understanding. "I think you're safe for tonight."

He chuckled nervously, sticking his hands into his pockets as he turned back to Pyrrha. "Shinai Kyani, huh? Heh heh, quite a, uh, catch."

The huntress' eyes widened again as she turned to the aforementioned swordsman, who had turned back to Beacon, stepping out of the conversation. "Oh. We're not here together."

"Oh! So, where's the guy then?"

"There is no guy."

The balcony went quiet as Jaune choked on his spit. "What?!"

Pyrrha's head dropped. "Nobody asked me."

"But that's…" Jaune gestured vaguely at her. "You're Pyrrha Nikos! How could nobody ask you?!"

Pyrrha sighed, leaning against the railing, giving Shinai a brief glance. The samurai caught it, and turned to leave, giving the other huntsman a solitary nod as he passed.

"I've been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities. I'm constantly surrounded by love and praise, but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, you become separated from the people that put you there in the first place. Everyone assumes I'm too good for them. That I'm on a level they simply can't attain. It's become impossible to form any sort of meaningful relationship with people. That's what I like about you,"

Jaune's eyes widened, mouth falling to gape at her in surprise, even as she continued on. "When we met- you didn't even know my name. You treated me just like anyone else. And thanks to you, I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. I guess, you're the kind of guy I wish I was here with. Someone who saw me for me..."

She trailed off sadly, and gave him one last, long look before turning to leave after the samurai.

* * *

"How ya doin', sis?" Yang asked Daria as she walked up to her. "Ah, jeez."

The aforementioned brunette was leaning against the wall, half-drank cup of punch in her hand, face cast in shadow.

"What happened?" The blonde huntress asked, leaning against the wall next to her.

Daria sighed before responding in little more than a mutter, "Rainier never showed."

Yang stared at her for a few moments before slowly beginning to tremble, eyes turning red. "Ooh, I'm going to-"

"Stop. Please. I don't care."

"Come on, you do. Do you-"

"What? Oh, no. It's just, that… he's my best friend. I figured he'd be the last person to flake out on me."

Yang continued to stare at her crestfallen friend- before extending her arm. "Come on."

Daria stared at the offered limb for a few moments, blinking owlishly, a dark blush slowly crossing her cheeks. "Uh-

"We're going to go dance."

"Oh... yeah... um..."

"And drink loooots of punch and talk about how much Rainier sucks. How's that sound?"

Daria continued to stare at Yang before a smile slowly claimed her face, taking the blonde's arm. "That… sounds like fun."

"Oh! Jaune put a dress on, it's going to be so funny! And have you seen Lance and Oracle? They're the absolute frickin' cutest."

* * *

"Hey, Cin. I got the wolf." Vegas said, leaning back from his vantage point overlooking the campus.

" _Where? What's he doing?"_ Cinder called back.

"Outer edges of the campus. Looks like he's just now heading to the dance. And... like he's been training his ass off. That is _interesting_."

" _Oh? Why's that?"_

"Because there might just be something in it. Because these kids have been making a huge deal of this dance for a while now. Didn't expect him of all of them to ditch to train. Vacuoans are fascinating."

"… _Perhaps. Keep an eye out, the dance is secured. I'm heading out."_

"Of course. Don't have too much fun."

* * *

Rainier sighed, wiping the still pouring sweat from his face with a sigh, brushing his arms to stay off the sudden drop in temperature of the outside world. He swallowed hard, pale eyes dark with exhaustion. "Here's to hope." He muttered as he neared the ballroom, trying his Scroll again, calling Daria- to no avail, the line immediately going dead. He shook his head, a touch of regret filling his face, continuing his solemn, exhausted march-

 _Bang bang bang._

The faunus screeched to a halt, claws of his silver leg scratching against the concrete and sending sparks into the air, turning on his heel at the ever familiar sounds of gunfire. He looked back and forth between the ballroom and Beacon Tower, mind shifting back and forth between them.

He groaned, taking off at a dead sprint towards the CCT tower, his vest dropped to the ground.

* * *

Ruby stumbled into the tower's communication room, heels wiggling beneath her as she held Crescent Rose- her scythe- close to her. "Hello?" She asked, looking around curiously. "Is anyone there? Hello?"

It only took a moment before a masked woman rose out from behind one of the consoles, sashaying towards her silently.

"Excuse me?" Ruby asked, frowning as she prepped for battle. "You know, it's not a masquerade party, so why don't you take off that-"

She was cut off as the woman moved swiftly, pulling out a silver canister brandished with the sign for ice Dust, and then activated it, a cavalcade of ice soaring towards the ill-prepared huntress.

Then there was a blur of movement and silver, Rainier appearing out of nowhere, spinning and twisting in the air, his claws smashing into the ice shards. He landed on the ground, sliding, claws ripping into the steel, as the woman pulled out a black bow, producing an arrow out of nowhere, and nocking it, glowing orange Dust markings tracing across her black clothes.

"What is going on in here?!"

All three of the combatants turned towards the elevator: standing in it, large pistol drawn, was General James Ironwood. The Atlesian was tall and fair-skinned, short-cut, combed back black hair holding streaks of grey. He was dressed simply in a white suit, blue vest, and red tie.

Rainier and Ruby let out dual sighs of relief, before turning back to the woman-

And she was gone.

* * *

Cinder stepped into the ballroom, dressed in a lavish black dress, two Atlesian guards following a few moments after her into the crowded room, confused. She reached forwards, and tapped on Emerald's shoulder. "Mind if I cut in?"

The green dress-clad girl nodded, gesturing to her dancing partner: Mercury. "Of course."

Cinder stepped forwards and began dancing with the assassin.

"And how's your night been going?" He asked, curiously.

"Mm… a little more… exciting than expected."

"Should we be worried?"

"Hardly. They'll be scratching their heads long after we finished what we came here for."

"So, what now?"

"Enjoy the rest of your night. After all, it is a party. That goes for you too, Goldie. Enjoy. Tomorrow… it's back to work."

* * *

Rainier and Ruby stared at each other as Ironwood cautiously approached. In near unison, they turned to the console the woman had been hiding at, the toll of Beacon's bell ringing in the distance: sitting in the middle of the screen, was a black Queen chess piece.

And then the clock chimed midnight.


	10. Chapter 5: Minutes After Midnight

**Chapter 5: Minutes After Midnight**

* * *

Rainier sighed as he slowly played a few keys on the piano, taking in the comfortingly familiar notes, other hand running over the black surface of its top.

"Oh. You."

The faunus looked up- to Weiss, the Atlesian staring, arms crossed, face disapproving, as she stood in the middle of the ballroom. "Yes. It is I. The villain of the hour." He ducked his head again to stare at the keys, continuing to play absentmindedly.

"Don't play victim."

"…You're right. I apologize."

Weiss sighed, and began picking up the stray streamers littering the ballroom- sky pitch black outside the windows, and the dance long over. After a moment, she stilled again. "How could you just leave her hanging like that?"

Rainier's fingers hovered above the keys, a frown crossing his face. "I hadn't intended to. When I asked her to the dance, I'd been fully intent on going."

"So? Why didn't you?"

"I… got caught up."

She scoffed. "Oh, boy. Let's hear this excuse, then"

"I was training."

The heiress burst out into laughter. " _Training_? Really? You just happened to get lost on the way to the dance and ended up at the gym?"

"Well… I'd _been_ training, and… lost track of time."

"So, allow me to get this straight: you were working out, and just... happened to forget the dance, that our friend group had been making a big deal out of for _weeks_ just happened to be tonight? The dance that three other schools from _other Kingdoms_ flew in to attend?"

He sighed. "It's a poor excuse, I know."

The two huntsmen lapsed into silence as the Vacuoan played a few more keys idly, not seeming willing to leave the ballroom, while she continued to clean up the mess left behind after the party.

"…You play piano?" Weiss finally asked, breaking the silence.

"From time to time, yes."

She hummed, unimpressed in response, turning her gaze back to the floor.

"I prefer the guitar," He continued, latching onto the opportunity to make conversation. "But they're not so different. Inverted, perhaps, and one much more regal than the other. The piano's not a bad second-best, though it lacks the elegance that an acoustic can offer."

Weiss shook her head. "You're unbelievable."

"Yes, well… I imagine that's something everyone has said about me tonight."

"Maybe. You did miss JNPR doing a dance though. And Jaune in a dress."

Rainier spluttered, but didn't laugh, simply trailing off. "A mess up I truly am, huh? I break my dear friend's heart, and then proceed to miss the rest of my friends' moments."

"That's the general sentiment, yes."

He shook his head and brought his other hand up, the notes playing in his head as he softly plucked away at the piano's keys, humming along quietly.

All of a sudden, Weiss straightened up like a blur, hands filled with trashed streamers. "...I know that song." She gasped, pale blue eyes turning up to him.

He stopped. "Oh? I was just playing what came to me."

"No, that's Anders. I used to have a piece to that."

Rainier stared at her for a long few moments. "Miss Schnee, you continue to surprise me." He pressed a few more keys, watching as she thoughtfully swayed her head slightly side-to-side, humming along.

"What," She asked, raising a delicate eyebrow. "Is it so bizarre that I know Anders? He's one of the greatest of his period."

"I... suppose I had forgotten who I was talking to. It's easy to believe no one knows the same strange things that you do."

She still didn't seem to be buying it though, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "Oh? Well. Isn't that nice."

He pulled his hands away, turning fully towards her as he pursed his lips. "While I... realize that I may not seem the most… approachable man right now, given the circumstances- as of this moment, I don't really have a place to go. And, perhaps, I can help you tidy up?"

Weiss glared at him for a long few moments- before sighing. "Fine. Just don't mention Daria. Or anything else from tonight, for that matter. I worked very hard on this dance, and you didn't have the decency to show."

He began making his way down the steps from the piano to the dance floor proper, grabbing some streamers left over the stair railings as he walked. "I do apologize, dearly. If... I may ask... it's far past midnight? Why are you here cleaning up on your own?"

"For your information- my partner was attacked, and one of my friends was left heartbroken. We're all going to get little sleep tonight. And what did I say about talking about the dance? Now, hurry up and get down here and help me. And while you're at it, you can explain how you know Anders' Fourth Symphony _so well._ "

* * *

Rainier sighed as he reached his door, exuberant energy gained from his conversation with Weiss draining from him as he reached for the door handle, throwing the door open-

To the staring eyes of Nash, Gail- and Lance, Shinai, Ulysses, Jaune, and Lie Ren.

"Close the door." Nash whispered, eyes wide with righteous fury.

"What's… going on?" Rainier asked, frowning, edging ever so slightly back out into the hallway.

Lance stood up, gesturing to one of the unused chairs. "Take a seat."

The faunus did not comply. "I… do not think I want to."

"Ulysses?"

There was a whir of something flying through the air- and Avenger found its way buried into the wall beside Rainier's head. He slowly turned to it, blinking owlishly. "Well... that was rude."

"I don't think you're gonna get another warning, bud."

Rainier nodded, adjusting his shoulders as he stepped forwards. "Very well then."

Jaune sighed. "I know what it's like to be awful with girls- but, man. Did no one ever teach you the bro code? That's, like, rule number five. You just... ditched her?"

"Yeah, after swooping in and stealing her?!" Lance continued, righteous with anger.

The faunus sighed. "Ooooh, this is… yes, okay. Very well. Have you gathered to tell me how stupid I am?"

"Well, _I_ came here to punch you in your smug face. But, yeah, that sounds satisfying as well."

Nash slowly rose to his feet, whispering, "There is no salvation for the pain and torment you shall receive."

All eyes slowly turned to the boy in various states of horror.

"Nash?" Lance asked, holding his hands placatingly to the smaller blonde. "Are you… alright?"

" _Not until righteous vengeance has been enacted_."

Rainier frowned. "Nash, talk to me, my short friend."

Nash frowned right back, face melting back to its trademark boyish pout. "You suck."

"So I've been told tonight."

"It's Daria! She's the best! You can't just ding-dong-ditch her!"

"It... you're right, my friend. My friends. Do you think I don't understand that? I... If it'll help, I'll... explain what I was doing," His gaze turned to Shinai for a split second. "As much as I can."

* * *

Daria's gaze was burning as she stared across the room stubbornly, dark eyes stony and cold, unreceptive to the world around her, arms crossed over her chest tightly, hands balled into fists.

"Daria." Rainier stared across at her helplessly, expression oozing with regret, leaning towards his leader, abashed.

The Mistrali didn't respond to him, barely flinching in her chilly dismissal.

"Daria, please. At least talk to me."

"Why."

The faunus looked around the room to his other teammates, face filled with exasperation and helplessness. "Be- because I messed up, I understand that. I'm trying to make amends, but I need you to help me, Dearest-"

"Don't you dare," She hissed, gaze falling to him, face twisted into an expression of pure vitriol. "Don't you 'Dearest Daria' me."

"I..." He went quiet for a moment, remorse replacing the regret in his eyes. "...Of course." His head dropped lowly, a disappointed breath escaping his lips.

Her expression softened slightly at his look of capitulation- before immediately hardening as another wave of spite flooded through her, upturning her nose again.

Gail swallowed hard as she pulled her legs into her chest, looking back and forth between her teammates helplessly. She and Nash locked gazes for a moment, the young boy shrugging, seemingly none too plussed with the situation at hand.

"...I'm sorry," Rainier said quietly, gaze not raising. "I know... I messed up. I hurt you-"

"Hurt's a nice word," His leader shot back. "See, the only reason I agreed to go with you to that stupid dance was because I- I thought that I could trust you to make it worth it. Why- hey! Rainier wouldn't flake out on me! Rainier wouldn't leave me hanging! Rainier's not like that, he's better! I- thought that I could _trust you,"_

His eyes shot back to her, surprise filling his face before hurt quickly replaced it. Daria, though, shot to her feet, storming over to the Vacuoan, bearing down on him. "I don't like to trust people, you know? It hurts, it sucks, and nine times out of ten, someone gets hurt- but I thought you were _different_. You seemed to _care_. And I bought it! I really did! But just like always, that came back to bite me in the ass, like always! And this isn't about some stupid dance, I don't care about that- it's about _you_. I should've listened to my first instincts about you. I knew who you were, but I pretended like you were something else because, dang, that sounded nice- you're a selfish boy who only cares about yourself, and everyone else is just- just side-pieces to use and get rid of as you please! So don't you _sorry_ me. I'm not buying it anymore."

The room was dead silent, the fan whirring above seeming to be impossibly loud. Rainier- his gaze dropping again with each passing admonishment- sat silently for a moment. Slowly, he rose to his feet, attention glued to the floor. Wordlessly, he stepped around Daria, not once looking to her, even as hers and their other teammates' eyes watched his every move. Hands clenched into fists, he began to shuffle away from her, making a dejected, defeated march towards the door.

He left without a word, the door closing softly behind him.

"Daria..." Gail started quietly, slowly sliding to sit on the edge of her bed, face distraught.

Her leader's gaze snapped to her, dark eyes heavy and red with tears, cheeks stained. The trio sat and stood silently for a moment, the tension oppressively thick. Finally, Nash edged towards her- and took her hand in his own silently. Like a cornered animal, she flinched from the sudden contact, turning quickly towards him.

He simply stared up at her with empathetic, caring blue eyes, and she crumbled, falling to sit on the bed beside him, burying her face in her hands.

"I'm so stupid," She whispered, even as he leaned his shoulder against hers. " _I'm so stupid_."

"...I thought he was cool too." Nash said quietly.

"He didn't deserve that. He didn't."

"I dunno. Maybe he did."

They sat quietly for a moment, even as Gail looked back and forth between the partners and the door, anguished. Finally, she let out a shaky sigh, sidling back to perch in the corner of her room, placing headphones in her ears, knees pulled back to her chest, a book held with a white-knuckled grip.

* * *

Rainier sighed as he stepped along the lit stone sidewalk, hands buried in his pockets, good leg kicking at stray pebbles littering his path.

"Platina."

The faunus flinched at the sudden, clipped tone, recoiling as he turned on his heel towards the trees placed off of the path. In the boughs of the nearest tree, Shinai sat calmly, legs crossed beneath him, sword held lightly in his lap, eyes closed.

Rainier's expression flipped from misery to sudden fury, before melting back to resigned as he stared at the samurai, taking a _deep_ steadying breath. "Samurai." He greeted, frozen in his tracks.

"You're upset." Shinai said evenly, not looking up to the Vacuoan.

"Yes, well... it seems to be a quid pro quo thing... and I'm more than deserving," He cleared his throat, stepping off of the stone. "Another late night?"

"So it seems."

"Is this a nightly thing if you, if it's not too intrusive?"

"No."

"...Very convincing."

The samurai dropped from the tree branch he was perched on, landing in the grass with hardly a sound. Hand balanced casually on the hilt of his katana, he walked forwards and joined the faunus on the path. "Do you mind?"

Rainier jolted at the sudden companionship, bristling for a moment... before the tension drained from him, gaze turning to the stars above. "...No. I wouldn't."

The two walked in silence for a while, neither speaking a word, the two huntsmen walking in synchronization. Finally, Shinai broke the pact of quiet between them. "I'll assume that this is about the dance?"

The Vacuoan let out a bitter laugh. "...That's what I had thought... I'm afraid, it... goes a bit deeper than that."

"Hm," They lapsed back into their silence for a moment. "Copper's upset with you."

"Upset... is a light word. Hardly fitting."

"Yet you're here, alone."

"I... I'm the last person she wants to see. My face may need to be... invisible for a time."

"Wise."

"Oh?" Rainier's face turned back towards him in surprise. "And how is that?"

Shinai looked at the faunus out of the corner of his eyes, head not turning. "Defeat is hard to admit, but you have to be willing to admit it to move on. I won't ask about your problems, but acceptance is the first step to healing."

Rainier's eyes went hard, a thin smile crossing his face. "Are we talking to talk or are we talking to bide time?"

"You see him, then."

"Rooftop, across the street."

Shinai nodded casually in response. "Wait for my mark."

"Pleased to. Don't keep me waiting. I've been praying for another chance at him.

They walked a few more steps quietly-

"…Go."

With two quick movements, Shinai disappeared into a purple cloud of smoke, joined by a silver blur rushing through it.

* * *

Vegas Gold hummed to himself thoughtfully as he watched the two huntsmen strut along the path, popping chips casually into his mouth from his position.

He sighed. "Do something about it, wolf."

He'd been watching the faunus since the dance, and he could _feel_ exactly what he'd been hoping for: obsession.

But, yet, the wolf never acted on it, putting on a guise of normalcy and that made Vegas' skin crawl. What a coward.

He shook his head, closing his eyes in disappointment.

And when he opened them, the two were gone. In their place was a cloud of dark purple smoke, split cleanly in two.

"What the…" He muttered, climbing to his feet and dropping his bag of chips-

And narrowly avoided the blade cleaving through his head, the sharp 'shinks' of the ends of his hair being cut off filling the otherwise dead silent night. Like a top, he turned on his heel to the bottom of the samurai's boot soaring through the air- towards the backhalf of the building's roof was a thick cloud of smoke, not unlike the one down on the street below.

Gold jumped backwards, again narrowly missing the strike as he left the rooftop entirely- only for a hand to grip the back of the cuff of his jacket, swinging him backwards to slam into the brick wall of the building. He tumbled downwards, bashing against the building before landing in a roll onto the ground.

Without a second to spare, and enormous bullet came firing down towards him, getting him to leap backwards-right in the way of a metallic, clawed foot soaring towards him. Vegas stepped to the side at the last moment, pushing the limb away from himself.

Rainier landed on the ground, shaking his head. "Predictable, my friend!"

Poof.

Suddenly, another boot found itself buried in the small of his back, sending him careening forwards into the leaping, spinning, waiting paw of the faunus, smashing into his chin and sending him into the air, leaving his feet entirely.

Shinai slashed upwards with his katana, cleaving through the man's jacket and sending him further upwards into the air.

A blur of movement heralded Rainier leaping into the air and spinning, Wolf's Claws connecting solidly with Gold's stomach and sending him back down into the asphalt, cannon blast mixing with the blow, the wind rushing out of him.

The faunus landed and pointed towards his at-the-moment comrade. "I enjoy fighting alongside you far more than I enjoy fighting you, samurai!"

Shinai shook his head and dashed forwards- into a solid, bone rattling sucker punch to the stomach from Vegas as he rushed from his hole in the ground, spinning low to trip the samurai's legs out from under him, missing narrowly as the huntsmen jumped over the offending limb, immediately striking downwards to slash into the criminal.

Metal met metal as Gold brought his own blade up, dim, golden metal gleaming under the streetlights as he parried Shinai away. He wasn't given much time to capitalize as a cannon blast caught him in the back sending him tumbling towards the samurai.

"I'm getting real sick of you, wo-"

The two huntsmen rushed him in unison, Rainier dropping low to sweep at Vegas' legs, much like he had done a few moments ago, while Shinai leapt into the air, metallic boot shooting towards the back of the criminal's head.

Expertly, Gold leapt into the air, arcing his back backwards- leaping over the faunus' strike, but ducking just beneath the samurai's.

Shinai, however, twirled, grabbing the criminal's ankle and sending him back down into the asphalt, Rainier scrambling away to avoid getting squished. With another swift movement, the samurai stabbed downwards- only for Vegas to latch onto Shinai's forearm, grimacing as he held the huntsmen's blade back.

And then he grinned. " _Rust away._ "

Kyani frowned- and then felt a burning begin spreading from the spot Gold was holding, teeth clenching at the pain and a growl escaping his lips.

The attack was interrupted succinctly as Rainier dashed forwards, kicking at the spot the criminal's hand met Shinai's arm, both men tumbling away from the blow. Vegas rolled to his feet quickly, grinning wickedly as his blade began to heat, glowing orange and steaming.

Rainer rolled his eyes at the display of bravado, and dashed forwards, spinning sideways and sending a cannon shot at the criminal's head.

Gold side stepped it- and slashed down the length of Rainier's leg, the metal plates of the front cleaving off with ease. The faunus let out a surprised yell as he twirled away, slamming into the ground as his leg sparked and seized up.

Shinai growled and turned with a slash towards the criminal- only for him to be gone, a disappearing golden spot swiftly climbing the side of the building next to them, before vanishing into the night. The samurai growled at the pain in his arm, but briskly walked towards Rainier nonetheless, the faunus glaring at his cleaved leg.

"Bloody _criminals_ …" He muttered as he rose to a sitting position, hands working to remove the now defunct limb, sliding himself away from it.

"Are you alright?" Shinai asked as he helped the now one legged faunus to his foot, arm slung over his shoulder.

Rainier waved him off. "I'm fine. I have another one. That's disappointing. Did that bastard get away again?"

"Yes."

"Of course he did, slippery little..." The faunus shook his head with a frustrated growl. "Come. Let's head back before karma strikes me down again."

* * *

Vegas let out a growl of fury as he threw the table to the side, cooling down sword forgotten on the floor.

" _Now, now_ ," Cinder said quietly in his ear. " _Let's relax_."

Gold scowled and threw more things around in the room. "I just got my ass handed to me by two children- I'm not going to calm down!"

She shushed him quietly. " _Now, now… it was two on one. You'll get your chances for one on one retribution. I'm sure of it."_

"You were watching?!"

" _Oh, Goldie, I would have stepped in if I needed to. Don't you trust me_?"

Teeth grit together, he craned his neck around. "I'm going to-"

" _Yes, yes you are. But not now. Right now, we just need to wait. Bide our time. You'll get your chance, Goldie Sweet dreams…"_ She whispered, almost… soothingly.

Vegas growled and clenched his fists- but closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as he slowly calmed. "Sweet dreams." He muttered back.

* * *

" _Sweet dreams."_


	11. Chapter 6: Extracurricular Activities

**Chapter 6: Extracurricular Activities**

* * *

Rainier sighed impatiently, tapping his leg against the elevator as it rose quickly upwards, towards the top of Beacon Tower. After seemingly millennia, it slowed to a stop, beeping obviously, before the doors slid open, the faunus stepping out into Professor Ozpin's office. His metallic leg was gleaming platinum, free from the battle-damage and use that the other one had taken over its tenure.

Sitting at the desk, sipping at his drink, was Ozpin himself. Goodwitch stood to one side, while Ironwood stood to the other- they looked like they had just finished an argument.

"Ah, Rainier, good of you to join us." The professor said amiably, leaning back in his chair.

The faunus nodded his head after a moment of hesitation. "Ah… good to be here, I suppose. This is about the night of the ball, no?"

Ironwood nodded. "And the encounter you had last night. We just need you to recount what you remember."

"Aha. Have you spoken to Ms.-"

Ozpin waved him off. "Not yet. But we will. Right now, we just need you to try and remember everything that happened."

Rainier sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Truthfully, I missed most of the excitement, if… that's what you could call it. I arrived in time to kick… something out of the air. Other than the Queen chess piece, nothing of importance sticks out to me. The encounter with the man, well… I was having a nice walk with Shinai, when we noticed him spying on us. We reacted accordingly, and put a stop to that. He didn't appreciate it and we had a skirmish. He was… twenty-ish? Dressed in brown and Gold, quite heinous. He did something to Shinai's arm, and his sword cut through my leg- the robotic one- like butter. Other than that, he seemed simply interested to watch until we attacked."

The trio of huntsmen shared looks, before Ozpin nodded. "Very well then. And, Mr. Platina, what you did was very courageous, rushing towards the danger at a moment's notice, both times. I commend you."

Rainier nodded, but didn't turn to leave.

"You have a question."

The faunus sighed. "Professor… the chess piece… what was it about?"

Ozpin's eyes shot over to Ironwood. "What do you mean?"

"This… woman, that man… whatever it is they're is doing… it's not White Fang. I'm asking… what is going on?"

"Truthfully… we're not entirely sure," Ozpin said with a sigh. "But we will keep you, and the others involved, informed. You have my word."

"Just…" Rainier trailed off, looking away in slight shame. "Me and mine didn't sign up to fight a shadow war, yes? I simply… hope that this is not something that our lives will be thrown away for." He bent his legs and twirled his hands, bowing, before turning to leave.

"Mr. Platina, you students mean everything to me. To us. To the world. Don't think that that means nothing. In the meantime… don't let your mind get too clouded with distrust or… obsession," That made the faunus turn back to the professor quickly. "Your team are your family, Rainier. Don't turn your backs on them just yet."

The faunus opened his mouth to speak, before slowly nodding, leaving the tower.

* * *

"Capital of Vacuo."

"Vacuo City- easy-peasy."

"Atlesian motto."

"'In Might, Progress. In Progress, Security. In Security, Might.'"

"Largest recorded Grimm."

"Uh… Nevermore- no, Goliath- no! _Megaladon_."

"Largest island belonging to Vale."

Lance stared at Oracle dumbly. "Uh… bugger, I don't know."

"Patch." Shinai called over evenly from his bed, reading a book. Wrapped around his arm was a thick layer of white bandages, his hand flexing every so often as if in pain.

"How'd you know that?"

"Because I come from there."

Oracle gave the blonde a disappointed look. "Don't even know the captain's home. Shame, shame, shame."

"Whatever, we're not taking the test anyway."

"We're coming back eventually."

"Yeah, but who knows how long? Who knows how long anybody's trip could take? We could be out for days, weeks- months, even!"

"No. We won't."

"Ye- shut up."

Ulysses held up three fingers on one hand, one on the other, without opening his eyes, earbuds plugging his- well, ears.

Lance glared at his partner, while Oracle fist-pumped victoriously. "The gap widens, hon!"

"Bias! _Bias!_ "

Shinai closed his book, sighing in irritation. "Do you not have anything better to do?"

Lance leaned back, crossing his arms. "Like what?"

"Strike out with Copper?" Ulysses grumbled.

After a few beats of silence, Oracle burst out into laughter, beating the desk as tears filled her eyes. Shinai simply cracked a miniscule smile, before quickly schooling it.

Zaffre made a face, flapping his lips. "Oh, yeah, sure, pick on Lance!" That simply made Oracle begin laughing harder. "Whatever, I've got my pride and my good looks. You can't take that away from me."

"Take away one, you take away the other." Shinai toned in evenly, face dead-set in stone. The gunslinger began laughing even _harder,_ wheezing as she fell from her chair to the floor.

"What is happening!" Lance yelled, shooting to his feet. "Both of you?! And someone help Oracle, I think she collapsed a lung."

The aforementioned cackling girl went to say something when a knocking at the door interrupted her. The team leader rose to his feet and walked over, throwing the door open. Standing in the frame was Yang, hand raised to knock again.

Shinai raised an eyebrow silently.

"Yeah, hi, you guys know how to turn Daria off?"

Team SOUL was silent for a moment before Lance let out a snicker.

"…Pardon?" Kyani asked.

Yang stepped back, pointing to the side. The samurai leaned out of the dorm room, following the blonde's suggestion: standing down the hall, was indeed Daria- stomping and cursing, kicking the wall hard enough to leave dents, and more or less throwing a tantrum.

* * *

"THAT STUPID-" Kick. "ASININE-" Kick. "SELF-CONCEITED- AGH!"

Kick.

The gathered four teams watched Copper rage silently, the huntress stalking back and forth around the pavilion, kicking things at random.

Pyrrha leaned towards Nash. "What is her problem, exactly?"

The boy's face darkened, shaking his head. "Rainier just keeps on messin' up."

"May you… expand on that?"

"Daria!" Nash yelled, making the gathered huntsmen jump as the DRGN team leader turned her attention back to them. "What'd Rainier do this time?"

Copper stalked back towards them, huffing in anger. "I'll tell you what he did. That _friggin'_ faunus-"

"Made a poor judgment call."

Wide eyes turned to the mentioned faunus.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Yang muttered to the group.

Daria turned furious brown eyes to him. "' _Poor judgment call_ '?! You call that a poor judgment call?! You walk in without telling me about the gold guy, with a new leg, and you don't even say _anything?!"_

"...I'm... I'm sorry, it-."

"We are _beyond_ sorry at this point! Sorry doesn't begin to cover it! You made a promise- you wouldn't go do these things on your own-"

"I wasn't _on_ my-"

"No, _I_ am talking! You _promised_! _He could have killed you!"_

Rainier stared at her quietly. "I... you're right. I had promised. And I broke that promise. And Kyani and myself were in danger because of it. I apo... I will do better," The students hung around awkwardly for a moment, before he sighed. "...The meeting in the auditorium is beginning soon. We'll be picking our missions. I just wished to tell you."

Daria stormed towards the auditorium by herself, pushing past Rainier as she did. The faunus dropped his head, shaking it with a sigh. The gathered 14 all gave him mixed looks of pity and shame, heads shaking at him.

Pyrrha put a hand on his shoulder as she passed. "Forgiveness is not easy to come by. You just have to work at it."

* * *

"Quiet!" Goodwitch called out over the heads of the students from all four schools, all four kingdoms, the auditorium packed full; Vale students in their red suits, Atlesians in white uniforms, Mistrali in black. And the Vacuoan students, dressed simply as comfortably as possible. "Quiet, please! Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin."

Ozpin stepped forwards on the stage, clearing his throat. "Today we stand together, united. Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. The four kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression," He nodded and gestured to the students broadly, cane held between his arm and chest. "And as you are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither were the generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity,"

"As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, huntsmen and huntresses will work to uphold it. As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional huntsman or huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best." With that, he and Goodwitch stepped away, and the students began filing out of the auditorium.

Lance sighed, throwing his hands behind his head as they entered a large, circular room, tall hologram tablets lining the walls, available missions listed in them as they detailed the different quadrants of the entirety of Vale. "So whattaya guys wanna do? Something in the cities? Something out in the wilds?"

Team SOUL exchanged looks, silently waiting for a suggestion.

"What are the options?" Oracle finally asked, drawing an approving nod from Shinai.

The blonde huntsman leaned forwards towards one of the screens. "Eh… search and destroy, scouting, village watch, escort-" He screwed his nose up in distaste at that. "And… oh. Observance? What's observance?"

"What's it say?" Oracle asked, leaning towards him.

"'Observe what the-' oh, no. Nonono. Nope."

"What?"

"Like, watch civilians do their thing."

"Oh. Ew."

"Right?"

Shinai shook his head. "It's more than that. Our duties as huntsmen are to give back to our kingdom. Community service is not exciting, but it means as much to the people we are protecting as fighting grimm does.

The two huntsmen looked at their leader, before back at each other, frowning. "Ah," Lance finally said. "Yeah."

"Search and destroy." Ulysses said, making the trio turn to him quickly.

"One vote for search and destroy! Thanks, Ul."

He said nothing else.

Lance tapped the button and typed in 'Team SOUL', it glowing green as the request went through. "Quadrant 3 then. East central. Ooh, coast. Cool. Let's go find our huntsman then."

* * *

Nash jogged up to Rainier as the faunus perused the available choices and quadrants. "Hey, do you know where RWBY's going?"

"Ah, no?"

"Oh. Cause Ozpin just let them do a suuuper dangerous mission. Any ideas?"

Platina shook his head. "Not one, sorry. Perhaps…" He trailed off. "Hm. I shall look into it. You have my word."

That made the boy frown, opening his mouth to say something before stopping, walking back towards Gail and Daria.

"Gods, Rainier, just pick something." The latter said.

"How about… scouting?"

"Scouting, sure, awesome." She said, irritated.

Rainier sighed and tapped it, typing in the team name. "There we are. Quadrant 6. Most southern quadrant, at the tip."

"Awesome." With that, the leader began walking out, the other two following her. After a moment, the faunus followed suit.

* * *

Team SOUL walked forwards nonchalantly towards their designated bullhead.

"Who do ya think it's gonna be?" Oracle asked, looking for suggestions.

"Probably Qrow Branwen." Lance said, nodding.

"HAHAHAHAHA."

"No, seriously! I mean, it's a scouting mission! That makes sense, right?"

"Sure, the legendary Qrow's gonna babysit a bunch of kids travelling across the kingdom. How ridiculous would that be?"

Ulysses rolled his eyes. "No."

"Okay," Lance said. "How about… Ramsay Bulwark?"

"No."

"A detective?"

"No."

"Oh! What if it's Ozpin himself!"

"No."

"Okay, wise guy, why not?"

"Because I see him."

They all turned to the direction Ulysses was pointing and-

Professor Port raised a hand. "Children! Come along, come along, we mustn't wait any longer! It's going to be a long couple of days travelling after all!"

Shinai took a _deep_ breath in, before letting it out, walking towards the professor.

Ulysses, having already come to terms with the situation, simply walked forwards with his trademark scowl.

Oracle and Lance shared looks before letting out mirror groans, dragging themselves forwards.

"Don't be so down- I imagine it'll be quite a time we'll have!"

* * *

"Doctor Oobleck, huh?" Nash asked, watching Team RWBY dejectedly climb into the bullhead with the eclectic, fast-talking, annoying teacher.

"Could be worse." Gail said quietly, fidgeting.

"Yeah?"

She pointed to the side, a handful of bullheads off- Team SOUL was standing next to Professor Port.

"Ooooh-no!" Nash cried, wilting in place. "We're going to get someone terrible too! Oh, I bet it'll be a teacher! Someone terrible, who's not cool, and doesn't have any cool tricks, and- and- and-"

"And?"

They all turned to the voice, and their eyes widened.

The huntsman was tall, and lithe, a tattered, dark brown tricorn hat ornamenting his head, a half facemask covering his face. The majority of his body was dressed in a heavy, classical, tattered trenchcoat, the same color as his hat, and his chest was protected with dark silver body armor over a black body suit.

And strapped to his back was an enormous silver greatsword, separated in segments running down either side of the center piece of the sword- a glowing green sliver, specks of light coming off it.

"And…" Daria began, shaking her head from the trance. "Who are you?"

The huntsman bowed. "Sise Tsuki. Formerly of Team CRMS. Your huntsman for the excursion."

Nash let out a high-pitched squeak of giddiness.


	12. Chapter 7: Going on a Trip

**Chapter 7: Going on a Trip**

* * *

"I spy with my little eye, something green." Nash said, swinging his legs from his seat in the bullhead, staring out the window.

Daria groaned. "Let me guess, it's a tree."

"Righto!"

The team leader groaned again.

"Now, now, Nash," Rainier began, voice not betraying the thin smile plastered onto his face. "There are more than trees out here. Perhaps blue. Like the sky. Or white. Like a cloud. Or green. Like a tree."

Daria shook her head again, cold gaze turning away from the Vacuoan. "Gail. Make him shut up."

The archer looked up from her book, eyes flitting between the duo, before looking back down, taking herself back out of the situation, as had been her promise to herself the moment it had started.

Sise watched the quartet in mild interest, blue-green eyes twinkling. He refrained from speaking though, leaning back in his seat and feigning disinterest.

"Daria," he began quietly.

"No."

"Daria, please-"

"No! Stop!" She finally cried, turning towards the window in irritation

Rainier stared at his leader for a moment, before finally sighing, following her example and leaving the bullhead in silence.

"Mom. Dad. Please stop fighting." Nash said, getting slight smiles from both huntsmen.

Sise stared on in interest, nodding to himself.

* * *

Shinai sighed as he picked his way along the unkempt trail, Professor Port leading Team SOULthe way a few feet ahead. He turned towards his team, assessing their condition for a moment.

Oracle and Lance seemed to have come together in their mutual dislike for the situation, one hand held firmly on top of her hat, head bowed, while the other hand was at her waist, toying with her gun in what Shinai could only assume was a nervous tick. The swordsman, however, was hunched over, hands buried in his pockets, scowling, and doing his best Ulysses impression at the time.

Ulysses himself was bringing up the rear of the group, heavy trenchcoat slung over his shoulder and hands buried in his pockets. The chain attached to his Avenger continued to wrap around his arm, breaking around the elbow, then continuing upwards, disappearing into the sleeve of his shirt and towards his back. The brooding teen's eyes were closed- and he seemed to just be enjoying the day, surprisingly.

"Professor Port," Shinai began. "Where are we heading?"

"Oh, to the coast of course! There have been a large influx of grimm activity out east, particularly of the marine variety, and it would not do at all if no one had checked up on it!"

The samurai nodded slowly, looking over his shoulder towards his team, looking to see if they had gotten that.

The mention of grimm had made Lance perk up, bright blue eyes twinkling with the promise of a good fight. "Hey, Port-"

"Oh, Port was my father- just call me Professor Port."

That made Lance actually slow down a half-step, staring in dumbfoundment at their leader for the expedition. "…Professor Port, uh… so what'd you do before you became a teacher?"

Port looked over his shoulder, smiling under his rather bushy mustache. "Ah, I was a huntsman of course! A rather good one at that. I worked alone for many years…"

Lance groaned and dipped his head again. "…Mistakes were made." He muttered, getting an irritated glare from Oracle.

* * *

The pilot of the bullhead turned over his shoulder. "Here's your drop off point, Tsuki!" He called out to the huntsman, gaining a nod back as the vehicle began to descend amidst a circle of trees, dead grass and leaves thrown up in the air as they touched down.

Sise patted the pilot's chair in silent gratification as he climbed out of the bullhead, Team DRGN quickly following suit. Nash waved at the pilot as he quickly climbed up the back- to where his mech suit sat, strapped to the vehicle. He quickly detached it, the red armor falling to land solidly on its feet, before the bullhead began to ascend again, soaring off back in the direction of Vale.

"WOW I'VE NEVER BEEN THIS FAR BEFORE!" Nash yelled out excitedly, climbing up onto his suit to stare out at the seemingly endless ocean of trees.

Rainier reached his hands high above his head and stretched languidly, murmuring contently. "I vaguely remember this spot on the flight over. Perhaps it was another stretch of these endless forests, they begin to blend together after a time."

"Vacuoan, right?" Tsuki asked, peering around in the forest, face hidden in shadow.

"Why, yes. How could you tell?"

He held up his Scroll without looking back to the students. "Ozpin gave me your information. I just wanted to confirm that you were the correct one. Son of Leonardo Platina, correct?"

"…Ah, yes."

"Good man, your brother as well."

Daria sighed, cutting into the conversation. "Where are we going?"

The veteran huntsman turned back to them, curiosity filling his eyes. "Further south. It's a short march."

"Why?"

"Grimm activity…"

The team leader and Rainier shared an instinctual look.

"And…?" The faunus said slowly.

Tsuki shook his head. "...Rumors of White Fang activity. But that's not _your_ problem."

" _Oh."_ The duo said in unison, before Daria scoffed, turning away.

The quintet went silent as Sise looked around for a few more moments, before nodding to himself, gesturing with a hand for the students to follow him.

* * *

"And that is when I knew it was time to strike! The beast, limping back into the woods it had come from was at its most vulnerable and I could not let it escape! So I…"

Lance shook his head, leaning against Oracle's arm- followed by her pushing him away quickly. "Hey, Port- Professor, whatever- when are we gonna get to where we need to be? I think Ulysses is getting bent."

The teacher looked up from his lunch. "Hm? Oh, we're already here."

"Oh thank god! When do we start killing Grimm?"

"What fervor! You remind me of myself at your age, Mr. Zaffre-" Oracle snickered. "Now- we begin the search!"

Lance smiled blankly, eyes glazing over. "S… search? We've gotta…" he slowly leaned forwards stiffly, nearly falling over from his position sitting cross-legged.

"Indeed! It is a search and destroy mission after all! Cheer up, lad! The search is half the fun! Once we find the source of the grimm here- the destroy can commence!"

Ulysses turned dark eyes to the expedition leader. "When do we start?"

"As soon as we finish our lunch. Then off to search we go!"

* * *

Sise hummed to himself thoughtfully as he picked his way through the thick foliage of the forest, the mechanical whirring of Nash's mech following a short ways behind him, amongst the sounds of the other students finding their way through the bushes with… less ease than he did.

"Gail," He finally said. The quiet girl went stock still as she jumped, wide eyes trained on the huntsman ahead of her. "You were a hunter back in your home, correct?"

She swallowed and nodded her head quickly.

"What are we looking for?"

A blush slowly crept across her cheeks as her teammates turned their attentions to her. "Uh… well… we need to…" She swallowed again. "What do you mean?"

"We're here to scout, aren't we? So scout."

Gail nodded slowly this time, unslinging her bow from its position on the small of her back, hesitantly finding her way to the front of the group. "Um… we need to find any trace of the grimm. Any… trampled grass or bushes, maybe an animal corpse? This far from any villages, there's not much negativity to draw them together in a concentrated group, so if there are any packs, they'll be smaller and more spread out, probably closer to the border between Vacuo and Vale."

As she spoke, Tsuki slowed his gait, arms crossed, until he was standing beside Daria. He turned blue-green eyes to her wordlessly.

For her part, she didn't even register the veteran huntsman, the remaining members of Team DRGN's eyes all locked onto Gail as the huntress slunk forwards with a disturbing amount of comfort, her hazel eyes scanning the forest floor.

Slowly she stopped, and turned over her shoulder curiously to the staring gazes of her teammates. The blush sprung back to her face. "Oh… oh, I… was rambling. Um… I'm sorry."

"YOU CAN TALK?!" Nash yelled out with a decent amount of legitimate surprise.

Gail winced. "Shh!"

Now fear began to sink into the blonde boy's face as he looked around the forest in paranoia.

"Excuse him," Rainier said, blinking himself. "It's just that… you very rarely speak. And never that much?"

The huntress rubbed the back of her neck. "I… just… got worked up, I guess."

"No, no, no! Please, continue!"

She swallowed hard and turned her gaze back to the forest, shaking her head in an attempt to block out the amount of attention pointed at her now.

Daria finally looked up to Sise, the masked huntsman inclining his head pointedly before striding forwards again.

* * *

Shinai frowned as he ducked low, swiping his hand across the ground, against the muddy track. That was not a grimm footprint. That was most definitely a boot. Eyebrows furrowed, he turned his attention back to Oracle, the gunslinger catching the look.

"Professor!" She called out, getting the mustached man to turn to them. "We've got… somethin."

Port nodded and strode over to the samurai, looking down at the bootprint, stroking his mustache in curiosity. "Hm… how strange."

"So there's someone else here." Shinai muttered.

"Possibly… well… no, it _is_ a very fresh print. Hm… I was not aware of any other assignments here."

Lance walked over, frowning in distaste. "No one came all this way for a trip to the beach, I'll tell ya that."

"Bandits?" Shinai asked aloud to no one in particular.

"Perhaps…" Port muttered back. "Ah, no matter! We were sent here for a specific purpose, and we shall complete that purpose, no matter what. No doubt this man- or woman- means us no harm. Onwards, students?"

One by one, the huntsmen resumed their forward march (back where Ulysses was waiting impatiently up ahead), Shinai lingering for a few moments before following after his teammates.

Even so, his hand tightened around the handle of his katana.

* * *

Gail blinked and turned on her heel. Standing behind her was Sise, of course, the veteran looking sufficiently poised, hands still crossed in front of his chest-

Far, far behind them though, was the rest of Team DRGN, the two non-mech riding huntsmen struggling through the thick foliage, while Nash was trying desperately to pilot Phalanx from the outside, jerkily side stepping trees and clunkily smashing through rocks and roots alike.

"So you read?" Tsuki asked as the duo waited.

The huntress ducked her head and swiped a stray hair out of her face. "Um… yeah."

Sise nodded, but said nothing else, lapsing into silence as the others caught up.

"Gail," Rainier said patiently. "Are you sure we're following a trail?"

"Um… no. We're not. We're just… we're just looking for one."

"Oh of course. Do you mind?" He pointed upwards into the branches above head.

Sise and Gail nodded- the latter quickly blushing and avoiding her gaze- while Daria shook her head spitefully. That was enough approval for the faunus to leap upwards, disappearing into the leaves quietly.

"I'll be right above you!" He called out.

The DRGN team leader shook her head, rolling her eyes.

Tsuki caught the look and put a hand on Gail's shoulder. "The sun's getting low. We should set up camp while there's still light left and get some rest. We'll keep going to at sunrise."

Surprisingly, the huntress looked off into the forest unsurely before nodding in agreement, a sigh escaping her lips.

Rainier dropped back down to the ground, face disappointed, gaze barely meeting his leader's. "...I should stay down here then.

"No."

"Yes." Daria and Tsuki said in unison.

"Of course." With a sigh, he collapsed to the ground, falling into a cross-legged position.

"Gail and I will go get wood for a fire," Sise said with an air of finality. "You three set up the bedrolls and figure out a schedule for tonight's watch. Nash, you prepare the food you brought while they do that."

The aforementioned boy gasped in shock. "How did you know." He whispered.

Tsuki nodded and gestured with his head for the archer to follow him as they strode into the forest, orange light from the setting sun bathing the scenery.

Rainier's mouth was held in a tight line as he watched Daria unfold the pack of bedrolls from Tsuki's bag silently, Nash reaching into his mech and pulling out several large bags of food- mostly junk- with a joyful smile.

The faunus sighed and stepped closer to his leader. "Daria."

" _What_."

He extended a hand to her. The diminutive huntress stared at it before frowning and tossing a couple of the bedrolls to him. Silently, the duo set them up in a loose circle. Daria turned to Nash- the boy sitting on his mech, munching happily away at a bag of chips- handing him a bedroll.

The blonde huntsman blinked and hesitantly took it, splaying it out across Phalanx's shoulders and holding his hands up to it, silently pleading it to stay. After a moment, he shot a thumbs up back her way, beaming.

"Do you…" Rainier began.

"Should I _want_ to?" Daria shot back.

"Well… no. But we are stuck in the forest for several days. Together. It might be prudent that we clear the tension, at least a little bit. So we don't give poor Sise an aneurysm."

"You noticed that too?" She muttered.

"He took Gail away. That's not exactly subtle."

"Why leave Nash?"

" _Nash_!"

The boy simply hummed back as he enjoyed his food, eyes closed in bliss.

Rainier sent a shrug Daria's way.

She sighed, eyes looking him over for a long moment. Finally, she shook her head, the tension draining from her body, muscles uncoiling. "...Alright. Let's talk."

* * *

Tsuki smiled to himself behind his mask as he and Gail returned to the campsite, bundles of sticks held in their arms. Sitting on two bedrolls across from each other, was Daria and Rainier, the two teens talking quietly- the former with her legs pulled into her chest, the latter sitting cross-legged.

"We're back." He announced pointedly, dropping his bundle in the middle of the campground.

Rainier turned to him lethargically while Daria jumped in shock.

"Oh, okay!" She yelled in slight irritation at the sudden scare.

"We… got wood." Gail muttered as she set her bundle off the side.

"Have you figured out the rotation?" Sise asked.

"Rainier, Gail, me, Nash, then you." Daria answered, scooting back from the fire place as the veteran huntsman quickly lit it, the flames quickly reaching up towards the sky.

Tsuki nodded in self-satisfaction. "Very well then. Nash- food?"

* * *

"Hey, Daria."

Daria groaned as she sat up. "I'm up, I'm up-"

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt as she took in her surroundings- she was, firstly, inside, in a large concrete building, industrial lights shining overhead. The windows showed that, yes, it was still the middle of the night. Like a bullet, she shot to her feet, Infinitas shooting into her hands as she whirred about. She was definitely alone.

"Hello?!" She barked out, teeth gritting together.

Footsteps greeted her, the sound of boots on concrete ringing out through the warehouse.

"No, that's not good enough." Rainier said, voice filled with irritation.

"It's the best we could do!"

"I'm sorry, I suppose that you didn't hear me. That's not good enough. We need to do better. Torchwick, explain to him what I'm talking about."

"Okay, see, the wolf's just a little irritated. Let me explain this to you, man to man. Face to face. Okay?" A voice, wholly unrecognizable to her, said.

Daria jumped as a gunshot filled the warehouse.

"Dammit, Roman." Rainier muttered as the footsteps got closer to her.

"C'mon, you were going to do it."

"Outside. We're more sophisticated than that."

"Kids these days. Sometimes you gotta be a little unsophisticated. Right, samurai?"

The footsteps finally reached her, rounding a corner and Daria frowned even deeper, staring at the trio walking towards her casually.

Leading the way was a man in a white trenchcoat she didn't recognize, orange hair swept down over one eye, held in place by a black bowler cap.

But she did definitely recognize the other two-

Rainier was beside the man, but… not. He was definitely still Rainier, silver hair wildly poking away backwards on his head, mechanical Wolf's Claws clacking against the floor. Rather than his white and red tracksuit though, he was dressed in a white, sleeveless shirt, tight black pants tucked into an equally black boot. On his face was a concealing, full white mask, modelled like a wolf's head, red swirls littering its surface. His hands were stuffed in his pockets in rather Rainier fashion- but that was the only thing that was familiar about him.

Behind the two of them was Shinai, dressed in black armor, and a black, smooth metal visor, hair much longer than he wore it. His poofy hakama pants were replaced with baggy black pants tucked into black metal boots, katana still strapped to his waist. At the moment, he was dead silent, not responding to Roman Torchwick's question.

Daria sucked in a breath as she watched the three men walk together, swallowing hard and feeling panic fill her chest.

"So this is what you fear the most."

She spun on her heel- to Sise, arms ever crossed, watching the scene play out in front of them- as the trio walked past them.

"Tsuki?" She whispered as her breaths shortened frantically.

"Breathe-" He said, leaning down towards her, hands on her shoulders. "Breathe. It's not real. It's not real."

"Wha- what do you mean it's not real?"

He tilted his head to the side- and the footsteps stopped. She turned back to her friends; and they were frozen in mid-stride, Rainier's mouth stuck open in the middle of speaking.

"What- I don't- I don't understand."

Tsuki straightened up. "My semblance. Huntsman's Nightmare."

"You… you're doing this?"

"It's an illusion. But yes. I've placed us in an image from your subconscious- of a sort. It's hard to explain."

"But…" Daria swallowed as she attempted to curb the coming anxiety attack. "But why?"

Tsuki watched her for a few moments before sighing. "These field trips serve an alternative purpose alongside the celebration of the end of the Great War. They're tests."

"Tests? What do you-"

"Tests to see your worthiness as students. How you handle live huntsman situation, but also your team chemistry and ability to work together. You four would have failed terribly."

"What do you-"

"Rainier. You wouldn't give him a moment of time. Gail. It's almost like you forget that she's there. Nash… I don't have any complaints about Nash. I didn't want to give you a bad report."

Daria swallowed. "So… that's why you had Gail lead the way?"

"As a leader, you failed. They all have their own skills and strengths. It's up to you to find them and use them well. On a scouting mission, Gail is the only one of you that should be leading."

The DRGN team leader sighed, closing her eyes. "And that's why you put Rainier and I in a situation where we would have to talk."

Sise nodded silently.

"So… why the Nightmare?"

"I'm someone uniquely qualified to test your chemistry. I can see your thoughts. Tell me; why is this a fear of yours?"

Daria blinked and turned to the frozen form of her teammate. "Because… I don't trust easily. I don't trust people that are superior to me. I don't trust people who betray my trust. I don't… I don't trust easily. And… it occurred to me. I don't know a lot about Shinai, but I do know that he was homeless. And I know Rainier. And I know how easily he could've… turned into someone bitter, and angry, and violent. I know how easily Shinai could've channeled all that negativity into something dark. But I know that Nash would never be like… this. I know that Gail…" She sighed. "I don't know what Gail's like. I… really have been failing her."

Tsuki nodded along with her. "Do you want to know what Rainier's Nightmare was?"

Daria swallowed hard, bit her lip; and hesitantly nodded.

"He was back in Vacuo. He was with his brother, and sister, and mother, and father. He was holding the skeleton of a baby and he couldn't let it go. He screamed and raged in the dream- not because his family wouldn't change no matter what he did, not because of the skeleton- but because you weren't there. And Nash, and Gail, and Team SOUL weren't there. Because Team JNPR and Team RWBY, and Weiss weren't there. Because Shinai wasn't there."

The short huntress simply stared at the veteran huntsman, mouth gaping.

"Would you like to wake up now?"

* * *

Daria shot to a sitting position, gasping for air. Sitting across from her was Sise, eyes glazed over for a few short moments before life began to fill them again. Blinking, he nodded at her. "Your shift is up next."

Gail turned to the duo with tired eyes, lips pursed in thought.

The two huntresses locked eyes and Daria slowly nodded- both to her teammate, and to herself. She opened her mouth to say something, before the archer shook her head silently.

Daria looked over to the sleeping form of Rainier- the faunus' face curled in quiet distaste. She sighed. "You can get some sleep, Gail."

The quiet huntress wasted no time before lying down, falling back into sleep gleefully.

Tsuki rose to his feet and walked over to Phalanx, Nash sleeping away peacefully on top of it.

"Be gentle with him, okay?" Daria pleaded quietly, sitting down beside the fire.

Sise simply smiled behind his mask, before his eyes went glazed and lifeless.


	13. Chapter 8: Scouts or Flag Bearers

**Chapter 8: Scouts or Flag Bearers**

* * *

"Oh! OH! OOOOH OH OH OH!" Lance yelled excitedly, moving from foot to foot faster and faster, hands clapping together.

Oracle grinned as she straightened up- from the collection of grimm tracks, the trademark wolf-print of beowolves. "We've got 'em! Captain, how old you think these are?"

Shinai frowned. "A few hours, maybe. Professor?"

"I concur! But, do not be too excited, children; we still must face this threat with the utmost caution and planning. Can't simply jump haphazardly into a melee after all!"

Lance shrugged. "I dunno, worked pretty well the last time we did it."

"Yes, but that was an eight on one situation. This is potentially a five on dozens situation. We are in the grimm's territory now."

Ulysses grunted in agreement, arms crossed in front of him.

"So what then?" Oracle asked, twirling her guns in well-hidden anticipation.

"We keep tracking! And once we find the source of these grimm, we shall form a suitable plan and then-"

"Destroy." Lance whispered giddily.

"Precisely."

Ulysses nodded, walking up to Oracle. "Let's go."

The blonde huntsman turned to Shinai, an almost thankful and knowing grin planted on his face. The samurai gave a short nod before walking off to join the others as they marched closer and closer to their prey.

* * *

The campground was quiet as Sise returned the bedrolls to his bag, dark bags hanging under his eyes.

All things considered, it looked like he got the worst sleep of them all.

All things considered.

Rainier was quiet as he performed his morning rituals, yellow eyes cast in a well-guarded blank stare, devoid of his usual exuberance.

Nash had locked himself inside of his Phalanx since his shift that morning, speaking in only short, clipped responses.

Gail had scaled a tree after quickly eating her meal, perched in a branch with a book in hand, under the guise of keeping an eye on the camp's perimeter.

And Daria… Daria was watching her team quietly, deep in thought, brown eyes watching their every movements.

' _Do they believe in you? That's your problem. You just need to ask more questions.'_

Shinai's words rang through her ears ad nauseum. She'd taken the advice to heart at the time but… she hadn't really. She could very clearly see that. She could see that in the ways he had handled Ulysses… and she had handled Gail.

"Hey, Gail." She called out, a meep greeting her from the trees.

"Y-yeah?" The quiet huntress answered back, not moving from her position.

"Could you come down?"

"Oh… uh, yeah." A few moments of rustling filled the silence before the archer dropped down, book held to her chest.

Daria mulled a thought over for a few moments, deciding carefully on how she wanted to voice it. "So… Gail. Honey. Where… do we need to go?"

Tsuki blinked and tuned into the conversation, tired eyes looking on in interest.

"What do you mean?" Gail asked quietly, fidgeting under the attention.

"Well… you're a hunter, right?"

"I mean… I was?"

"So you'll know what we're looking for. I figure you should take the lead, you know?"

"O-oh. Well… um… I guess we'll just keep an eye out for any signs. I… never really found a trail yesterday… sorry."

"No, no, you're fine. Take your time. We've got all week, don't we?"

Sise nodded, but said nothing, rising to his feet and attaching his greatsword to his back.

Rainier looked up at his teammates. "I'll be above. I'll call if I spot something, yes?"

Daria nodded. "Do it. Be careful though, and don't stray. If a fight breaks out, we'll need you."

The faunus nodded back and leapt into the trees without another word, drawing a sigh from the team leader. She strutted over to Phalanx. "Nash? Nash, baby?"

The slitted eyes of the suit looked down to her. "Yes?"

"I need you to come out."

"Why."

"Please? For me?"

There was an audible swallow and a few moments of silence, before the head split in two, sliding down into the suit proper, and Nash's tussled hair popped out. His eyes were excruciatingly tired, and his cheeks were stained with tears.

"Oh, Nash." She muttered, using the mech's knee to heft herself up and sit on Phalanx's shoulder. Daria turned her eyes to Tsuki, mouthing ' _Words, later_ '.

Surprisingly, the veteran huntsman managed a content smile, nodding shortly.

The youngest member of the team climbed out of the suit and say on the rim where the head of Phalanx had been, leaning against his leader. "Y'know that I love you guys, right?"

She nodded. "I know. I know."

* * *

"AHAHA!"

Lance cackled as he cleaved the beast in half, greatsword gleaming in the sunlight. "FINALLY!" He charged forwards, Iron Maw held out behind him in one hand, the other dangling limply as a dangerous, pent up light filled his blue eyes.

Ulysses was right by his side, towering over his partner, and looking just as distinctly ready for violence, trench long forgotten, flail held firmly in black taped hands.

Shinai was a few feet behind them, alongside Professor Port and Oracle- the gunslinger firing off bullets at the ursai around while the teacher looked simply content to watch, a small smile planted on his mustached face.

"Laughing Coffin!" The samurai barked, and the two forerunning huntsman switched positions.

Ulysses let out a grunt as chain spilled from his tank top, Avenger crashing onto the ground. Lance nodded with a grin and leapt, the brooding teen's flail following after him. As the chain met him, the blonde swordsman latched onto it with his legs, as if climbing a rope, and held his greatsword out above his head.

The chain- and partner- falling behind Ebony, he grunted and began to swing his weapon and passenger around in a circle, heavy boots smashing against the ground as he picked up speed, Lance cackling as he spun wildly. The duo reached the midst of the ursai pack, the grimm-like bears blinking in surprise as Lance's Iron Maw cleaved into them with an inordinate amount of momentum, Ulysses expertly spinning Avenger with a surprising level of grace.

Shinai nodded to Oracle. "Setting Sun."

The gunslinger grinned. "Setting Sun!"

The two took off in unison, rushing towards the battlefield, Shinai's hands firmly holding the handle of Shi En and Oracle's guns held barrels up. The samurai grunted and vaulted off of the ground as she loaded a golden cartridge into her main hand revolver. The two dashed passed the rampaging Lance and Ulysses, Shinai high above the swinging swordsman, and Oracle sliding beneath him, and passed the majority of the ursai pack.

Standing a short ways back, looking sufficiently miffed, was an ursai alpha; towering compared to even its bear-sized compatriots, and riddled with bone plate. It roared in defiance of the two huntsman, even as Oracle began to flow with golden aura, eyes glinting brightly with the energy. She grinned and slid to a stop, far enough away from the alpha to have some breathing room.

With a relaxed exhalation of breath, she fired with her loaded revolver, a low 'boom' filling the clearing as the aura spilled from her into her bullet, flying through the air-

And falling just perfectly enough so that it was right beneath Shinai as he descended, the samurai spinning vertically and cleaving the supernova-encased bullet in half.

The two halves flew on anyways, separating from the momentum- just enough so that they slammed into the ursai's shoulders, its arms falling to the ground with a pair of dull thumps, a pained roar following the grimm as it crashed down back first.

Shinai rolled through with his landing and strode forwards quickly, katana twirling, silver blade shining in the sun as he prepared to plunge it into the beast's throat-

Only for it to roar and push upwards off the ground, massive form bodily taking the samurai down, teeth gnashing as it reached for his head- the blade of Shi En the only thing holding it back. Shinai growled and glared the alpha down, teeth grit together.

With a deafening 'boom' of a cannon, the grimm's head was simply… gone, replaced by billowing black smoke. Standing above it, was Professor Port, face not belying the seriousness of the situation.

"Right pickle you've found yourself in, Mr. Kyani," The teacher said, stepping to the side and lowering his weapon down to his waist. It was a fairly rudimentary blunderbuss, golden barrel looking somewhat like a trumpet, and two axe blades stuck out from the bottom of its stock. Port reached down and helped Shinai up with a firm hand, dusting the samurai off.

"Thank you." Was Kyani's earnest reply.

"My pleasure. Never forget; alpha grimm are very stubborn creatures, and a little thing like vivisection is never one to keep them down."

Shinai nodded, purple eyes affirming as he filed the information away for later.

The two huntsman turned their attention to the melee dying down ahead of them, Oracle having joined it and firing a near never-ending stream of bullets.

Ulysses' form was actually smoking, and Shinai frowned.

"Port, do you know what Ebony's semblance is?" The team leader asked quietly, sheathing his katana.

"Why, you're watching it right now!"

* * *

Lance grinned as he rolled over Ulysses' back, greatsword held at the ready- and slowly, his grin faded as he watched his partner. "Uh… Ul? Buddy?"

The hulking huntsman didn't answer as he moved from ursai to ursai, black smoke rising off of his form with increasing viscosity and thickness. For a brief moment, he turned to Lance- his pupils slowly expanding to fill the rest of his eyes with black. Seemingly, with each enemy he ripped to shreds with increasing brutality.

"What in the actual-" The blonde swordsman began.

"That's disconcertin'." Oracle concurred, arms going limp at the sight of their teammate.

"Yeah, that's the word I was gonna use."

* * *

"Rip and Tear," Port said with a nod. "Quite a savage semblance, but apropos, don't you think?"

Shinai was simply staring, purple eyes gleaming as dozens of ideas flashed through his mind. "…So it seems." He muttered, as Ulysses picked up the last of the ursai, gripping its throat in both hands as he held it high above his head. With a quick jerk- it went limp, even as Oracle and Lance cringed.

* * *

The professor hummed to himself as he picked his way through the now decaying into smoke corpses of the grimm. "Mmhm! Top work, children! You handled these quite… handedly!" He chuckled to himself. "Another sweep of the area to see if there are any stragglers, and then we'll be on our way back to Beacon."

Lance, however, didn't share the professor's enthusiasm, face crestfallen.

"Aw, come on, hon, you got to fight some grimm. What else did you want?" Oracle asked, patting her teammate's shoulder.

The swordsman sighed, kicking a pebble away. "…I wanted to fight a Sea Feilong."

Port chuckled. "My boy- no you didn't."

"The dragon?" Oracle muttered, mulling the thought over.

"King of the seas!" The teacher called back. "Trust me, it's better this way. You'll have plenty of chances to fight bigger and badder grimm once you graduate, as I'm certain you all will. Why, my first mission after graduating, myself and a friend of mine were on the tail of a King Taijitsu…"

Shinai sighed, sharing a look with Oracle as she rolled her eyes with a smile. As one, the five huntsmen took off on one last leisurely march.

Just in case.

* * *

Gail dashed forwards with ease, picking her way through the forest faster than the other four could keep up, eyes never leaving the ground- and the trail of Creep prints that littered it. "The trail's warm!" She called back, never looking to her teammates.

With a start, Tsuki froze in place, muscles tensing. "Tch." He hissed, before moving like a blur.

With a magnetic whir, his greatsword removed itself from his back into his hand, handle still held over his shoulder, arm trembling-

As he pushed against the golden blade jabbed into his own sword, the man at the end of the other sword scowling as he pulled his golden spear back, preparing to jab forwards again. Sise turned on his heel, greatsword swinging out around him, driving the hulking man back out of range.

The man was enormous, standing at least six inches taller than the veteran huntsman. He was sun-tanned, hair a deep gold and flowing out from his head like a mane. The bottom half of his face was covered in a white, thick mask, modelled like the bottom half of an animal's skull, a scar reaching up across his cheek from beneath it. He was dressed in a sleeveless red tailcoat, the center baring a broad chest. Lining the collar was a thick plume of fur, the same color as his hair. Beige, loose pants tucked into red and gold metal boots, matching the bracers cladding his arms. Golden eyes stared at the huntsman in disdain. A lion's tail lazily flicked out from behind him.

"Who are-" Sise began, only to be interrupted by a shocked scream.

Daria brought her ringblade up instinctively, parrying away the sickle and sending it tumbling through the air. It only took a moment before a flail replaced it, swinging wildly at the girl's head.

Phalanx's hand struck out and caught it firmly in the air, before ripping it out of the air and swinging it above their heads. With a rather shocked yelp, a body came flying from the treeline, soaring through the air- before crashing headfirst into the ground with a… bone-shattering crack.

Without hesitation, Nash's head replaced his mech's, blue eyes wide with horror as he stared at the crumpled body on the ground ahead of him. "Oh… oh my…" He whispered.

And then.

Slowly. Very, very, slowly, the body began to straighten up, like a puppet, cracking and groaning of bone-on-bone filling the silent forest. The figure's head slowly righted itself back in place.

The woman groaned as she rotated her neck as if… she had simply had a kink in it. She smiled somewhat snidely, as if pulling a trick on the other huntsman. The woman was smaller and lither than her compatriot, wiry muscle filling out her frame, skin a more natural tan than her partner's. Black hair was short cut and wavy, flowing across her head and over her half mask, her's covering the top half of her face. The white mask was leaner, with sharp angles as opposed to her partner's, and two horizontal stripes lay above her eyes. She was dressed in a sleeveless green-brown tunic, lined with golden thread, the bottoms extending down to her knees, over skin tight, beige pants tucked into green and gold boots like her compatriot's. Two fingerless, green and golden gloves stretched up her arms to just beneath her shoulders, dark green nailed fingers twirling her flail and sickle about expertly.

Nash frowned and slowly descended back into his mech, helmet reclaiming its position as Daria marched over to him.

No one was given a chance to react to the two assailants, as another body came tumbling from the forest- this time it was a more familiar one's;

Gail.

She groaned as she rolled across the ground, bow spilling out beside her. All eyes glued themselves to the spot she had come from-

Walking from the shadows was a taller man, taller than his partners, and well muscled. Black hair was messy around his head, and his face was covered in a full white mask, modelled after a more bovine skull, framed by two more much more natural looking curved horns, like a ram's. He was dressed in a black and dark-blue hooded cloak, hood down, lined in gold, the middle left open beside a golden attachment holding it together in the middle of his sternum. Black fingerless gloves clad his hands- hands that were wiping themselves off at the moment. Two belts held up a blue and gold kilt hanging over baggy beige pants and tucking into blue and black metal boots.

All three of their masks were lined with swirling, red designs.

Tsuki hissed in a breath as he whirled about, watching the triumvirate surrounding them. " _Shit_." He whispered.

Daria looked up to him with confused eyes.

"Cerberus."

* * *

Shinai breathed deeply as he waved his hands in soothing circles in front of him, legs crossed beneath him as he meditated, Shi En laid out across his lap. He hadn't had a chance to do this since the mission had began, and it was _long_ overdue- the sounds of nature chirping away in the forest, the waterfall crashing behind him and rippling the water surrounding his rock, himself suspended in a tranquil pond created by the fall. He released a breath. No one but himself and the silence.

 _Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump._

Shinai let out a slow breath, legs slowly uncurling out from under him.

 _Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump._

He breathed in through his nose, hand coming to rest on the handle of Shi En.

 _Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump._

He released the breath slowly, muscles coiling.

 _Thumpthumpthump-splish-shling._

Shinai leapt up from the rock he was sat on, high into the air, feet pulling up just in time to dodge the glowing orange blade cleaving through the waterfall behind him, steam rising into the air. He flipped backwards, through the waterfall, landing solidly onto the rocky ground on the other side, Shi En held in his armored glove tightly.

Vegas Gold grinned as he turned to the samurai, pulling Dragon's Fang back to his side. "Long time no see, samurai."


	14. Chapter 9: Playing with the Big Boys

**Chapter 9: Playing with the Big Boys**

* * *

The three White Fang members slowly circled Sise and the students, effectively flanking them, weapons held at the ready. The lion faunus' golden spear was lined with clockwork, the blade itself making up the vast majority of the spear's size. The woman's flail-sickle combo were being twirled about lazily as she leaned back while walking. Meanwhile, the final faunus' hands were now holding a double-bladed sword, twirling it cautiously as he kept his gaze firmly locked onto Tsuki.

"Why don't you take off that mask, Octavius?" Sise asked quietly, greatsword held tightly in his hands. The ram faunus froze- and then slowly reached up, pulling the mask off and clipping it onto his belt. He was pale, with sharp angular features and fiery orange eyes.

"It's been a while, Tsuki." Octavius said back calmly, casually twirling his blades.

"So it has."

"You look tired. Giving these kids a hard time?"

The veteran huntsman said nothing, eyes shooting over to Octavius' partners cautiously.

The ram faunus sighed. "I was hoping it wasn't you when Imp told me a masked huntsman was here."

The woman nodded. "He hated that."

Octavius sent her a look before continuing. "Couldn't stay away, huh?"

Tsuki shrugged noncommittally. "We gave up on you a long time ago. This is just a field trip."

"Ah… and these are your students then? Where's the fourth."

Sise sent a look around- Nash, Gail, Daria- but no Rainier. "He stayed back there at the campsite."

"How… unlikely."

"Take that as you will."

"We done?" The lion faunus grumbled. "We've got places to be."

Octavius nodded, returning his mask to his face. "We're done."

And as one Cerberus dashed forwards.

* * *

Gold grinned manically, Dragon's Fang sizzling with heat at his side. "Sorry to bust in on your me-time, samurai, but I've got some business to settle. The little attack with wolfie? That was cute. But now it's just you and me- and someone dying. Spoiler; it's not me.."

Shinai frowned, eyes narrowing. "Not-"

"On your watch, over your dead body, yeah, yeah- I AGREE!" The criminal charged forwards, swinging down at the samurai. Shinai backstepped, Gold's sword planting itself into the ground with a hiss. Kyani immediately struck out with his katana, the Vegas backing away just in time to dodge the swipe.

Gold dashed forwards again, blade dragging across the ground, manic smile planted on his face. "Ooh-hoo-hoo! _En garde, kid_!"

Shinai side stepped the criminal as Dragon's Fang came up for a slash, curved blade shooting for the samurai's core. The huntsman brought his katana up quickly, forcing the heated blade away with a quick parry, sparks flying up into the air of the cave. The two exchanged blows for a few moments, Gold's blade swung from side to side with heavy slashes, parried away with quick swipes from Shi En's blade. Gold grinned and planted his boot firmly into Shinai's midsection, following quickly by pushing his weight onto the samurai's own, glowing blade jabbing down into the student's midsection.

Kyani immediately brought his boots up and planted them into the criminal's chest, sending him stumbling away and giving the samurai the space to rise back to his feet, point of his katana held towards the criminal.

"I gotta admit, I'm disappointed someone like you's throwing your life away for Beacon," Gold said quietly, reflexively tapping the tip of his blade against the stone floor. "So much promise and for what? The option to die for an old man. You even know who Ozpin is? No. I bet you don't. Things I could tell you, kid."

Shinai didn't respond, simply watching his opponent carefully.

Vegas shook his head, tsking. "It's a shame I'm not gonna get the chance to watch the wolf kill you himself, but… this'll feel so much more satisfying!" With a bark of a laugh, the criminal leapt forwards, Dragon's Fang held high in the air.

* * *

Tsuki's greatsword swung out with ridiculous speed, swiping the lion faunus' greatspear away and simultaneously parrying Imp's sickle out of the air, sending it flying back into the depths of the forest.

Nash reached out and swept Daria off of her feet, holding her in the air and avoiding the stab coming from Octavius, one half of the ram's blade burying itself into the dirt. Without losing any momentum, he turned, the other half of his sword swiping at Nash's armor, a deep rivet carving into the red armor of the mech. Nash growled and tossed his leader into the air, sending her into the depths of the trees above.

She reached out with one hand and caught a branch steadying herself, looking back down at the fight proper. A hand reached out and squeezed her shoulder, and she sighed. "Rainier, we-"

The hand tightened and she looked down at it- and the green painted nails. Daria swiveled in her spot, staring at Imp as the woman grinned in amusement. The White Fang member dropped down from the foliage, dragging the DRGN leader down with her, smashing her face first into the ground.

Sise momentarily looked to his charge, a growl escaping his lips, and that was all the distraction the hulking White Fang needed, greatspear swiping upwards and catching the veteran huntsman underneath the chin, sending him slipping into the air with a frightening amount of force. He spun with his momentum, feet finding themselves planted onto the bottom of a tree branch, and he pushed off, soaring back down to the forest floor, his greatsword Theia swiping for the lion faunus' midsection.

As if the veteran huntsman was moving in slow motion, the faunus simply stepped just out of range of the swing, Tsuki's impacting with the dirt and sliding a few feet away, spinning to his feet quickly.

The lion faunus growled and looked off to Octavius, the ram leaping into the air and landing atop Phalanx's shoulders, looking to jab his sword into the more vulnerable neck joints of the mech, before a hulking hand reached up and ripped him down by a leg, smashing him into the ground, sending dirt flying into the air.

"First restraint, open!"

Tsuki let out a yell of frustration. "NO- NASH!"

The head of Phalanx blinked and looked over to the veteran huntsman- before finding the faunus' blade buried into his shoulder. The mech released the White Fang and took a few steps back, Nash working furiously inside of Phalanx to get the arm functioning again.

Octavius rose to his feet, flames spilling from the eyes holes of his mask, smoke rising off of his body as he twirled his blades, jacket dropped to the ground. Like a bullet, he was back next to Nash, leaping and spinning in the air, sword ripping into the metal visor of the mech, drawing a yelp from the young huntsman.

Sise growled and turned his attention back to the lion faunus, the hulking White Fang's eyes glued to the huntsman's own.

"Are we gonna fight or what." He growled.

Tsuki's eyes took in the clustered battlefield- and Gail slowly pushing herself onto her knees, a quiet groan spilling from her lips, and the lack of Rainier; still in the trees?

The veteran huntsman twirled his blade and held it to the side, half of the green sliver in the center glowing softly. "Come on then."

The two dashed forwards, blades meeting with a heavy clang.

* * *

Shinai sidestepped the attack, ducking low beneath the blade slash, and swiping upwards with his katana. The strike rang true and Gold growled in frustration, twirling in place as he slashed again.

The samurai parried it away, the glowing blade pushed towards the ceiling, Vegas' eyes following it. Shinai leapt with the momentum of his swing, boot finding itself planted beneath Gold's chin and sending the criminal stumbling away. The samurai completed the turn, landing firmly onto the ground, Shi En held to the side, before dashing forwards again, purple eyes narrowed onto his opponent.

Reaching him, the samurai slashed quickly, Vegas narrowly parrying the slash away and throwing a quick left punch. With his free hand, Shinai caught it by the wrist and turned, using his momentum to throw Gold over his shoulder, and send him flying through the waterfall, back to the pond outside.

The criminal quickly leapt to the rock Shinai had formerly been meditating on, finding his feet and watching with narrowed eyes, waiting for the samurai to follow him back out.

 _Poof_

With a cloud of purple smoke, Shinai appeared behind Gold, boot striking out and catching the criminal in the small of the back, sending him back into the pond, steam rising from where the superheated blade had fallen in.

Kyani didn't waste any time, vaulting up and backwards to the land surrounding the pond, katana held at the ready as he stared at the surface of the water, purple eyes narrowed.

With an uproarious splash, Vegas came crashing from the pond, glowing blade held point first at Shinai's heart as the criminal came soaring down, a scowl on his face. The samurai simply tilted his body, letting Dragon's Fang sear itself into the ground. Kyani kicked upwards, boot finding its mark on Gold's nose, the criminal stumbling away, free hand flying to his face.

Shinai pushed his advantage with a flurry of swipes, using the momentum from one to immediately slash the other direction, tracing an 'X' in the air as Shi En gleamed in the sunlight.

Finally, Vegas brought his own blade up, catching the katana against the hilt and using his superior strength to wrench it from the samurai's hand. The criminal grinned as he dashed backwards, catching it out of the air. "What do I tell ya? I'm a natural with these-"

Shinai raised his gauntleted hand into the air, two fingers stretched out. With a swift jerk of his palm, the katana ripped itself free from Gold's hand.

" _What in the_ -"

He didn't get a chance to continue the thought as the samurai began to swing his hand about, Shi En following his motion and swinging around the criminal, silver blade slashing to and fro across Gold's form. Vegas stumbled away from the onslaught, golden eyes furrowed in confusion before they narrowed onto the samurai's gauntlet and a scowl reclaimed his face.

Gold charged forwards, narrowly dodging the blade as he swept down towards him, and lunged, hands extended out towards Shinai's arm.

* * *

The two greatblades clashed, the lion faunus pushing Tsuki down towards the dirt, growling animalistically. The veteran huntsman grit his teeth together, before swiveling his body, sending both blades into the dirt, a back elbow sent towards the White Fang's jawline. The hulking faunus ducked it like it was telegraphed, picking Sise up bodily and charged forwards, heaving the huntsman into the forest-

The duo smashed through the nearest tree, splinters flying into the air as they charged away from the melee for the moment.

Octavius watched his partner go, growling. "Imp!"

The woman looked up from where she was holding Daria's hair, the short huntress' face in the dirt. "Yeah?"

"Where-"

He was cut off as a hulking hand wrapped around his midsection, Phalanx's arm back in working order.

"Don't you ignore me." Nash growled lowly- and then vaulted into the air, taking the two of them high above the treetops, the thrusters on the mech hoisting them away.

Imp blinked as she watched the two combatants disappear. "Huh," She shrugged and turned her attention back to Daria- whom was staring up at her with disdainful brown eyes. "Oh come-"

The White Fang wasn't allowed another word as she was roughly thrown away from the short huntress- poised where she had been was Rainier, tanned face curved in a rare scowl. He didn't stop to exchange pleasantries as he dashed after Imp, Wolf's Claws impacting with the woman's chest and sending her vaulting into a tree, a crack heralding it crashing to the ground.

Rainier was by her side in an instant, a blur of silver, as he leapt and spun, mechanical leg impacting with Imp's stomach, sending her into the ground with a cringeworthy crunch. He didn't stick around though, vaulting high into the air after Nash and Octavius.

Daria groaned as she scrambled to her feet, jogging over to Gail. "Gail, I need you to get up."

"One second…" The archer muttered as blue aura crackled over her form.

"Gods…" The leader hissed in irritation, sending her gaze back to the slowly rising body of Imp.

Octavius growled as he ripped away at any leverage he could get in Phalanx's arm, twinblades falling to the ground. Nash looked down at him as they reached the clouds, his thrusters shutting down.

"Imma plant me a dumbass tree." The mech spat as they twirled in the air, heads pointing back to the earth. With a 'whoosh', Nash's thrusters resumed activity, vaulting both combatants down towards the ground.

In a blur, Rainier met them in the air, metal leg colliding with the back of Octavius' skull, a cannon shot joining the satisfying crunch. Spinning with the blow, the wolf faunus latched onto the back of Phalanx, swiveling around the thrusters spewing fire. He leaned towards the hatch in the back, tapping.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Good!"

The trio hurled back down towards the forest floor- and Octavius was limp, no longer fighting. As they reached the tops of the trees, he raised his head.

"Second restraint-" The rest of the words were lost as they smashed through the trees, a cacophony of shattering lumber, a massive dust cloud flying into the air.

Daria stumbled away from them- and the spot Imp had been- eyes wide as she stared at the mass of combatants; and the longsword buried through Phalanx, pointing out the other side.

The back hatch of the mech spluttered and opened and closed erratically, even as Nash rose to his feet slowly, sparks flying from the wound, a frustrated, synthesized growl escaping his lips.

Beneath him, miraculously not crushed, was Octavius- mask shattered, revealing his grit teeth and grimace. Flames were spilling form his eyes and the corners of his mouth, smoke rising from his body like evaporation.

Crumpled beneath him was the twisted body of Imp, bones pointing in very wrong directions, motionless. He looked down to it.

"Damn." He muttered, bringing his boots up and pushing the mech, and the faunus riding it, away from himself, using his twinblades to rise to his feet. Rainier dropped from Phalanx, striding around it to glare down at Octavius.

"More White Fang, of course." The Vacuoan muttered.

The ram faunus stared at Rainier for a few moments. "You must be related to the White Wolf. A Platina this far east? Hm."

Rainier growled. "YOU do _NOT_ get to say that name!" He spat, voice going hoarse with raw emotion.

Octavius sighed. "Imp?"

There was a whir of movement as both sickle and flail flew towards the two huntsmen, flail narrowly missing Rainier, sickle puncturing a few inches into the mech.

The wolf faunus glared at the flail on the ground, following the wire it was attached to, to the hand of Imp, the woman smiling, mask shattered at her feet, green-yellow eyes glinting with amusement. Her smile tilted manically and she pulled on the string with a finger, drawing Rainier's eyes back to the flail.

A series of clicks filled the clearing as the spikes on the flail flew outwards, dozens of needles flying through the air. The huntsman attempted to leap away, narrowly avoiding some, but taking one to the mechanical leg, and one to the chest, tumbling out of the air. Phalanx rather nonchalantly watched as several of the spikes bounced off of his armor. A hand wrapped around the wire and pulled it towards him, Imp flying through the air to land in his other hand.

"Nice tri-" He began, only for a blade to stab down into the neck of the mech, sparks flying out as Nash gave a yell of surprise.

Octavius glared at the mech. "I'm getting tired of you." He muttered, dashing around the Phalanx and carving the head out in a circle, the helmet falling to the ground. Leaping onto its shoulders, he reached in and pulled out Nash himself, the boy struggling in vain as the faunus held him up.

"NASH!" Daria screamed dashing forwards, leaping into the air, ringblades gleaming with energy as she fired volley after volley of laser discs at the White Fang. He simply dropped from his vantage point, letting the discs burn into the defunct armor of Phalanx. The short huntress skirted around it, blades held at the ready, only to run into a well placed kick to the chin, Octavius lying in wait, still holding Nash by the scruff of his neck.

"Kids these days," The faunus muttered. "Predictable." He tossed the boy to the side and planted a boot onto the back of Daria's neck, twinblades raised high in the air.

* * *

Shinai let out a sound of surprise as he tried to swivel his body away from the attack, succeeding only partly as Gold's sword arm wrapped around him. The free arm came up and wrapped around the samurai's gauntleted one.

Vegas grinned and a burning sensation began to spill from the place the criminal was holding, drawing a growl of pain from Shinai, a finger drawing Shi En out of the air and back towards the combatants. Watching the blade soar back towards him out of the corner of his eye, Gold waited until the last moment to spin them away, taking the samurai to the ground and letting the katana fly flush into the pond behind them.

Straddling the huntsman, Vegas- still holding onto the samurai's arm- lifted Dragon's Fang and plunged it down, narrowly missing Shinai's head as he moved it to the side, the superheated blade burying itself into the earth.

Still, Gold didn't let up, using the proximity to the samurai to wrap his sword hand around the huntsman's throat, the same burning feeling taking root from the criminal's other hand as well now.

"Oh, samurai! Most satisfying Rust I think I'll ever get!"

Pain spreading through his throat, Shinai turned his head away- towards the pond, and grimaced, using the strength left in his hand to gently pull the katana back towards him.

With hardly a sound, the katana rose out of the water and rolled to the samurai's hand. Shinai very skillfully turned Shi En around in his hand until its blade pointed towards Gold- and with another finger wiggle, it shot into the man's side, sending him tumbling away; as much as he could, arm still impaled into the ground as it was, hands releasing the huntsman.

Shinai sucked in a breath as the burning abated, hand shooting to his throat to massage it for a brief moment before shooting to his feet, where Gold was struggling to move back into a position to rip Dragon's Fang from the ground.

He didn't get the chance.

Kyani raised his boot and stomped down hard right onto the criminal's shoulder, Vegas' sword arm fully extended. The criminal let out a yelp of pain as his hand grasped at Shinai's foot, pushing him away as and gripping his shoulder frantically.

The samurai didn't react, face falling back into its well-accustomed stoicism as his hand reached out to the side, Shi En flying back to his hand. Standing over his enemy, he twirled the katana and plunged it downwards. Gold's hand shot out to snatch the samurai's sword arm out of the air, like he'd done in their last encounter.

Instead, Shinai skillfully pulled his arm back, katana twirling in his hand to sit parallel to his arm, and grabbed the criminal's outstretched arm.

 _Poof_

The samurai Death Blossomed away, Gold still held in his hand, and reappeared next to an enormous oak tree. Twirling as his feet touched the ground, he slammed the criminal into the tree trunk, Vegas' body wrapping around it before Kyani let go, letting the older fighter tumble away, shaking his hand as he watched impassively.

Gold groaned in pain as he slowly pushed himself to his feet, Dragon's Fang still hissing warningly at his side. "Come on!" He hissed. "Just finish him! You're better than him! He's just a _fucking kid_!"

"Apparently not."

Vegas' eyes lit with unrestrained fury at Shinai's flatly delivered quip, and shot to his feet, charging forwards, sword swinging wildly.

The samurai simply continued to step backwards, casually ducking and swiveling around the frantic swings.

Gold roared in rage and swung Dragon's Fang one last time, putting all of his strength into the attack- only for Shinai to bring Shi En, still held backwards, and parry the strike away.

Vegas seethed, hunched over, glaring up at the impassive huntsman. "Fine! I'll do this _your_ way!"

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out… a handful of red shards. He grimaced and pumped aura into them, the shards beginning to glow, and then he slammed them into the ground.

* * *

 _Whoosh_

An enormous glowing blue curve of energy flew through the air, ripping through the back of Octavius' shirt and sending him- and Phalanx- falling to the side. He rolled with the fall, grunting as he spun back to his feet, glaring from where the attack had originated from.

Tsuki was scowling right back, blue-green eyes livid, Theia held up- the metal segments had slid to the side, revealing a smaller, glowing sword buried in the middle, pulsating completely with energy. The man's hat had been lost, alongside his coat, but he hardly seemed to care.

"Dammit Gaius." Octavius growled out.

The aforementioned lion faunus came barreling out of the forest after Tsuki, roaring in rage as he swung his greatspear down. He wasn't given a chance to connect as an enormous arrow flew through the air, sending him flying to the side. Another one flew true- but this time it was a dark blue, glowing with energy as if like hardlight. All eyes averted to the side; where Gail was standing defiantly, greatbow held in hand. Next to her was a mirror image of herself made of solid, blue light, following her movements in a few second delay.

Octavius scowled, and turned his attention back to Tsuki. "Same old trick."

The huntsman shrugged slightly, before lifting the greatsword high into the air, swinging it down- following his movements was a wave of energy flying through the air towards the faunus. The ram dodged to the side with a whir of movement, smoke following in his path.

"Third restraint- open!" He barked and blazing hot energy burst from him, the other combatants raising their hands to block it. Tsuki scowled and raised Theia high into the air, the inner sword glowing frantically- and the turned the blade towards the ground, impaling it several feet into the dirt.

A glowing blue-green shockwave rocked the forest, exploding outwards from his blade and sending the other fighters tumbling away, the energy ripping away at their clothes.

He scowled- and then opened his eyes wide, head turning to the side as two fangs buried themselves into his neck.

Imp stared back at him with twinkling eyes, as something pumped into the veteran huntsman's body. After a moment, she backed off, wiping at her mouth as his hands flew to the wound, turning on his heel to her.

Surely enough, two few inches long fangs hung from her mouth, lips smiling around them. "Surpriiise."

Tsuki shook his head as his vision went blurry, legs threatening to give out from under him, stumbling in place.

"What did you do to him?!" Daria barked, scrambling over to the huntsman.

Gail slowly drifted to her side, eyes wary as she impaled her greatbow back into the earth.

"We sent a message." Was her short response.

Octavius watched the trio, aware of Nash sitting a few feet away, eyes wide in fear, and the groaning, recovering body of Rainier on the opposite side.

"What the hell does that mean?!" The team leader yelled back, shooting to her feet, ring blades in hand.

The ram faunus shook his head. "No one else has to die, girl. Just him. A message to Ozpin and the red one; leave the White Fang be."

He inclined his head to the side, Imp following after him, waving cutely to the students as she skipped after the ringleader.

"YOU ARE NOT-"

"DARIA!" Rainer roared, getting her to turn to him. "Let them go."

"Rain-"

"I'm not losing anyone else! Let! Them! Go!"

Octavius stared at the wolf faunus- Rainier glaring right back, furiously. The ram nodded shortly, then continued on his way.

Gaius groaned as he rose to his feet at the other side of the clearing, golden eyes staring at the battered huntsman. With a grunt, he took off after his compatriots, sheathing his greatspear onto his back.

The three White Fang disappeared into the forest, never looking back at the students once.

Nash scrambled over to Daria and Tsuki. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god-"

"Nash!" She barked. "Calm down! Give him some space!"

Rainier stumbled over, mechanical leg protesting as it whirred around the spike buried in it. He fished out his Scroll from his pocket. "I'm calling the pilot- we need to go. As soon as possible. Gail, can you help me get him up?"

She nodded quickly, limping over to his side as the two hefted the unresponsive huntsman up.

"Daria, I need you to keep calling people- Ozpin, Glynda, bloody Shinai, I don't care."

The leader nodded. "Nash, come on."

"But…" The boy muttered. "Phalanx?"

"We'll send someone back, we need to go. I need you to try calling anyone as well."

"Oh… okay."

The blonde boy rushed forwards to join his teammates as Gail lead the way back through the forest.

* * *

A handful of explosions rocked the previously peaceful clearing, Shinai sent flying away while Vegas had been braced for the impact and simply slid a few feet away. The criminal didn't waste any time before dashing forwards, grin finding itself back to his face as he bore down on the shaken, recovering samurai.

Kyani hissed in a breath as he scrambled to his feet, narrowly parrying a slash from Dragon's Fang away from himself, before Gold brought the blade back up almost cleaving down the front of the samurai. Shinai scowled and grabbed the dull end of the criminal's blade, wincing at the burning pain emanating through his glove at the feeling.

Manically grinning, Vegas lifted his boot and planted it into the midsection of Shinai, sending the samurai sliding meters away, doubled over in pain. Like a bullet, Gold dashed forwards, turning on his heel backwards, planting the bottom of his foot into Shinai's face, sending the huntsman twirling away, Shi En still held in his hand.

"What's wrong, samurai?! You were talking all that good shit a few minutes ago!"

Shinai simply righted himself, wiping at his mouth and turning his katana's blade back towards the criminal, purple eyes narrowed.

"Breathe it in, samurai! This is it. Your last moments. I dunno if you Temple people pray to a specific god, but you better find him real quick." And with that, Vegas began to lethargically saunter his way over to Shinai, taking his time, grin smug and manic at once. Kyani grit his teeth together and twirled his blade, lowering himself back down in his stance, foot sliding through the dirt to find itself behind him.

Gold yelled and dashed forwards, as Shinai did the same, Shi En hoisted to bury itself under the criminal's ribs, Dragon's Fang poised to impale the huntsman through the back.

Before a sonic 'boom' filled the courtyard, a golden gunshot ripping through Gold's arm, an explosion sending the two combatants away from each other.

As Shinai and Gold rolled to their feet, both eyes turned to the rocky outcropping above the waterfall-

Standing, glowering with fury, was Oracle.

And, face pulled up in a rare snarl, was Lance.

And, looking absolutely incensed, was Ulysses, Avenger's chain falling to the ground, ready to be swung at a moment's notice.

And also Professor Port, Axe-Cannon held at the ready, bushy eyebrows disapproving of the scene before him.

Vegas stared at them, golden eyes filled with rage as he slowly began to tremble in fury. His attention snapped back to Shinai, his breathing rising and falling faster and faster. "NEXT TIME, SAMURAI! _NEXT TIME_!" He roared furiously, spittle flying from his lips, before dashing away, to the opposite direction of the outcropping, into the forest.

Shinai didn't make a move to stop him, arms going limp as his adrenaline waned, Shi En's blade resting against the dirt as he huffed, watching the golden criminal disappear into the darkness. He turned tired, purple eyes back to his team, letting out a sigh.

Oracle nodded back, letting out a deep breath she'd been holding.


	15. Chapter 10: Breach

**Chapter 10: Breach**

* * *

As the bullhead flew closer and closer to Beacon, the last thing Daria expected to see was the giant plume of smoke rising from Vale.

Also the last thing she wanted to see at the moment, turning tired eyes to the remnants of her team; Gail having receded into herself, holding her bow to her chest, dark eyes locked onto the city as well; Rainier, eyes closed, arms and legs crossed, having hardly moved or said a word since they had started the flight home; Nash, legs curled into his chest, the bottom half of his face buried in his arms, blue eyes locked onto the ground.

Or, more specifically: Tsuki. The veteran huntsman was laying down, a blanket cast over him, and unmoving, sweat still pouring down his face. The veteran huntsman had been stabilized, his aura slowly restoring and keeping him alive for the time being. That, however, didn't alleviate the guilt crushing down on Daria.

The DRGN leader turned back to the window, a frown slowly claiming her face. "Drop us off in the city."

The pilot frowned as he leaned forwards, looking down at the city. "Uh… are you guys sure? It's… kind of a mess down there."

That was an understatement.

The city streets were swarming with grimm, the plume of smoke arising from one of the natural walls of the city, a gaping hole filled with the remains of a rather large train. Huntsmen and police rushed to and fro across the battlefield, fighting the grimm off as well as they could.

"Absolutely." Daria muttered.

"What about-"

"Take him to Ozpin, or something."

The pilot gave her a long, uncertain look, before sighing, taking the craft to the nearest safe rooftop, touching down and giving the teens a thumbs up. The quartet began to pile out of the bullhead- before Daria put a hand on Nash's chest.

"I need you to stay with them, bud." She said softly.

"But-"

"Nash, you don't have Phalanx. He'll need help getting Sise to Oz. I need you to do that."

He stared at her for a long few moments, blue eyes clouding with guilt- before hesitantly nodding, climbing back up. "Be safe." He said quietly, before the trio took flight again, soaring towards the base of Beacon tower.

The leader of DRGN watched it go for a moment, before turning back to Rainier and Gail, a distasteful frown claiming her face. "The last few days have been the worst," She said, looking to her teammates with a stony expression. "I'm not gonna ask you guys to want to go save the city right now. Instead- who wants to go kill a buttload of grimm?"

Rainier's face slowly worked its way into a vicious smile. "I thought you'd never ask."

Gail nodded, nocking an arrow, taking deep breaths as she turned her gaze to the melee beyond.

"Alright," Daria said, stepping up to the edge of the building. "I'll be keeping count." She leaned back- then free fell, twirling like a top.

* * *

Shinai released a slow, shaky breath, leaves of the Emerald Forest falling peacefully around him. His free hand went to his throat with a grimace, his neck wrapped in dark cloth. He shook his head with a sigh, unfolding his legs from under him, his attempt at meditation forgotten for the moment.

 _'Breathe it in, samurai! This is it. Your last moments.'_

The killer's words ran through his mind ad nauseum, never ceasing to creep back into his thoughts at any given opportunity. He let out a deep breath, staring down at the grass, guilt spreading across his face. If his team hadn't made it in time...

He may not have walked away from the battle.

"Being foolhardy isn't the same as being courageous." He muttered to himself, shaking his head again.

 _'NEXT TIME, SAMURAI! NEXT TIME!'_

The man had promised a next time.

Shinai would have to be ready for it.

The distant sounds of sirens cut through the Forest's peaceful silent, bringing the samurai's thoughts screeching to a halt. He rose to his feet with a frown, before reappearing high above, at the edge of Beacon's cliff. Purple eyes narrowed as he gazed towards the city, black smoke rising to fill the air, the far off roaring of grimm filling his ears.

He took a deep, steadying breath.

Poof.

* * *

Oracle let out a frustrated yell as her revolver clicked empty, the heavily armored grimm still charging at her. She ducked its wide swipe, leaping forwards in a roll, loading a single bullet into the cannister. She spun as she hit the ground, holding her revolver outstretched, and fired. The bullet found its mark, passing through one of the creature's eyes, then out the back of its head, the beast nearly flipping from the momentum, crashing to the ground lifelessly. The gunslinger didn't waste any time before reloading her guns, looking off to the side.

Lance's eyes met hers for a split second, before turning back to his own grimm, spinning in place, massive greatsword carving upwards through the beast, taking it off of the ground entirely. He turned on his heel, Iron Maw cutting through the air, before bisecting the creature cleanly, the two halves flopping to the ground. "Ulysses! Fastball!"

The hulking huntsman turned on his heel at the call, eyes mostly filled with black, heavy smoke rising off of him. He bounded forwards with a roar, hands lashing out and catching the swordsman by the back of his jacket. He spun a few times, then released, sending Lance hurling off through the air, sword gripped tightly in his hands.

The swordsman impacted hard with the King Taijitu- an monstrous half-black and half-white snake, a head on either end raised high into the air. Iron Maw cleaved into one of the heads as Lance made contact, nearly cleaving the head off entirely, before coming to a screeching stop. The grimm let loose a hissing roar, swinging its head from side to side in an attempt to shake the huntsman free.

Lance grimaced with the effort to hang on. "Stupid friggin-" He raised his hand, clenching it into a fist. A large blue orb of energy exploded from beside the creature's face, nearly the entire half recoiling from the impact. The swordsman kicked off of the grimm, ripping his blade free-

But was a touch too slow, the other head lashing out and catching him by the foot in its massive fangs, drawing a yelp of pain from him. With a flick of his wrist, his blade shifted into its cannon form, bright blue shot already loaded. One eye closed in concentration as he was whipped from side to side, he took a long moment to line up the shot- then fired. The shot rang true, the white-scaled head of the Taijitu disappearing with a brilliant explosion.

Said explosion, though, sent him flying clear of the beast, crashing against the pavement with a groan, eyes widening as the remaining head hissed and dove towards him.

Poof.

The serpent's head hit the ground hard, landing just a few inches from the blonde huntsman, the now headless body going limp. Shinai landed in a roll, Shi En held out in front of him. Purple eyes met blue, the two teammates sharing a nod. The samurai extended a hand, helping Lance to his feet as he shifted Iron Maw back into its greatsword form.

The duo peered around the battlefield for a moment.

"You good, captain?" Lance asked, eyebrow raised.

Shinai nodded, twirling Shi En, ignoring the pain flaring through his arm. "I'm alright. How's the situation."

"Oh, you know. Shit?"

The samurai sighed. "Let's go." Without another word, he disappeared.

Lance walked through the smoke, waving it out of his face. "Stupid friggin' semblance," He muttered, taking off in a jog. "I can't teleport, just leave me here... stupid..." He trailed off into disgruntled grumbling as he continued his march onwards.

* * *

Daria twirled as she free fell, glowing ringblades ripping through the grimm beneath her, both beast and huntress crashing into the ground. She wasn't given a chance to recover, though, as another creature lunged at her. It never got close, though, a massive arrow piercing its body, pinning it to the ground. Rainier followed after, pushing off of the disappearing grimm, leaping into the fray, a flurry of steel and bullets as he zipped to and fro. Gail dropped down to Daria, new arrow nocked. The two huntresses exchanged a nod.

"Daria!" A very familiar voice called out. The short huntress turned as Ruby came flipping through the air, coming to a stop next to her, Crescent Rose held out in front of her.

"Rubes." The DRGN leader muttered.

"Are you guys okay?"

The shorter girl shook her head. "We will be. What's happening?"

"Uh..." Ruby looked around, slightly embarrassed. "It's... a long story."

"This better not be your fault."

"I mean... only slightly," The red-clad huntress muttered. "It's a long story!"

"Whatever. Where's your team?"

"Out fighting. Yours?"

"Out fighting. Wanna get back to it?"

"Oh, yeah, course."

The two huntresses turned their gazes forwards again, Ruby's scythe held behind her, Daria's ringblades held loosely at her sides. The girls exchanged nods before charging forwards again.

* * *

Shinai swiped upwards with his katana, steel blade carving through the grimm above him with ease, before turning on his heel, beheading the creature lunging at him from behind. Oracle's eyes met his, and the partners dashed passed each other, the gunslinger firing off a flurry of shots, while the samurai cleaved through the grimm ahead with deadly precision, the duo rapidly clearing out their street.

After a moment, she came sliding back towards him, firing off a volley of bullets at the massive beowolf she had been retreating from. "Captain. A thought occurs."

The leader of SOUL raised an eyebrow silently.

"We're not gonna be able to hold 'em off without A, someone to close the hole up; and B, reinforcements."

"You're not wrong," He muttered. "But we'll hold them off as long as we can."

"Not gonna lie, I hadn't planned on dyin' quite yet."

"Then don't."

"Love your optimism. If you see Lance, make sure he doesn't kick the bucket just yet."

The partners exchanged nods before splitting away, looking for others to assist. The samurai didn't get far, though, before an ear splitting roar greeted him, the hairs on the back of his neck sticking up as his instincts kicked in, turning on his heel, blade flying through the air.

He didn't get a chance to make the kill, though, as a gunshot cut through the din of battle, the grimm's head simply exploding, its body collapsing to the ground limply. Shinai looked up-

To Rainier, purple eyes meeting yellow. The two huntsmen stared off for a long moment, before breaking the staredown in near synchronization. The faunus stalked forwards, head on a swivel, before coming to a stop next to the samurai.

"Are you alright?" Shinai asked, twirling his blade, gaze filled with a touch of concern at his friend's appearance.

The Vacuoan snorted derisively. "That depends on your definition of 'okay'."

"Ah."

Rainier's eyes shot over towards his rival's for a moment, before turning back to the city. "Tell me, samurai; do we stand a chance right now?"

"No."

"Good, that's how I like it. Shall we then?"

"After you."

The faunus took off without another word, leaving the samurai alone for a moment.

Poof.

* * *

Gail charged forwards, arrow after arrow flying from her bow, face filled with a maelstrom of emotions as she let loose the stress of the last few days, loosing herself in the fog of battle. The archer charged forwards with a yell, glowing red arrow preceding her, eviscerating the grimm ahead. She didn't slow at all, leaping through the cloud of smoke, turning on her heel, a flurry of arrows shooting around her, the loose circle of grimm racing towards her going flying away. She hit the ground, rolling, another arrow nocked-

Right into the face of Ulysses.

The berserking huntsman grunted, hand raised to attack, before stilling as well, shaking his head, the sight of her making the black of his eyes shrink ever-so-slightly.

"Mr. Ebony!" She gasped apologetically, lowering her bow.

"Don't call me that," He muttered, turning on his heel. "It's fine."

The duo stood silently for a moment, before he inclined his head. "You wanna go kill some shit."

A blush crossed her face, lips pursed in embarrassment- but she gave him a tiny nod nonetheless, rising to her feet,

The duo took off at a run, Avenger swinging above their heads, arrows flying through the air with precision, hitting their targets one after another, the huntsmen carving their way through the grimm ahead of them.

* * *

Rainier grimaced as he ducked a wide swing from a grimm, leaping up and bringing his claws down onto the back of its head, the creature compacting under the impact. He hit the ground spinning, a cannon shot firing and stopping another charging beast in its tracks, before shooting back to his feet, twirling on his heel- and stared down a hulking ursa, the grimm roaring furiously at him.

"Okay," He muttered, stalling in place, hopping from foot to foot. "Let's dance, then."

He leapt forwards- but was beat there.

Yang lashed out with a flurry of shotgun-assisted punches, sending the grimm stumbling back, before leaping in the air, superman punching it in the snout. As she spun, she gave the faunus a cheeky wink, before landing. He shook his head, a small smile finally finding its way to his face as he charged forwards to join her.

Rainier leapt over her, silver claws crashing against the creature's nose, its head whiplashing backwards from the impact. She didn't let up, dashing forwards under him to let out a string of powerful punches. The faunus hit the ground beside her, a side kick crumpling the ursa in on itself, immediately followed up by a wicked uppercut from the brawler, the grim leaving its feet. He shot off of the ground again, pushing off of her shoulder to stall above the creature- before free falling, silver claws crashing against its head, sending both back down into the ground, the grimm lifeless.

Yang helped her temporary partner up, dusting him off. "You and Daria make up?"

"I... believe so." He muttered.

"Cool! I'll still castrate you if you hurt her again, though."

"Duly noted."

"Glad we're settled. Good to have you back."

"I... thank you."

She gave him a cheeky grin, pointing a thumb over her shoulder. "Hey, wanna go kill some more stuff."

"I'd be more than happy."

The duo took off again, the faunus' spirits slightly raised, before splitting apart.

His eyes widened at a familiar shock of red hair. "Oh, Pyrrha!" His eyes shot to the sky, widening. "Up, if you wouldn't mind!"

The warrior turned to him, blinking in slight surprise, before catching the other huntsman's intention, holding her shield above her head. Rainier leapt into the air and landed on it, using his momentum and her pushing upwards to vault high into the air, spinning to look down at the battlefield. Eyes narrowed, he let his momentum cease, freefalling back towards the earth as his eyes narrowed on the Nevermore- an enormous, hulking, crow-like grimm- flying above the battlefield.

A cannon shot brought his descent to a new speed, spinning in place, Wolf's Claws colliding against the creature's back, another shot sending both it and the faunus plummeting to the ground. Stone shattering beneath the impact, the grimm and the huntsman rolled across the ground. The Nevermore recovered first, screeching in rage and stomping over to the still grounded faunus, a scowl planted on his face.

It never got the chance- a black glyph appearing next to his head, followed by a blur of white as Weiss appeared next to it, foot crashing into its cheek and sending it into the glyph, the grimm going stumbling away, a crack echoing out across the city street.

She landed onto the ground solidly, bringing her rapier up with a flourish, before twirling it, stabbing the point into the ground and sending a stream of ice the grimm's way, encasing its head in ice, even as the rest of its body writhed.

The Atlesian turned back to Rainier- his eyes trained on her, and wide- and extended a hand, helping him to his feet. "Jeez, you look terrible."

"I... you're a sight for sore eyes, Miss Schnee." He said, shaking his head.

"Of course I am. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't happy to see you- _only_ because we need all the help we can get." She added, eyes narrowing in an instant as his lips curled to retort..

He raised his hands abatingly, sighing. "You're so defensive, Miss Schnee. I'd simply wanted to express how utterly _done_ with this bloody holiday I was.."

"...Well. In that case- you and I both."

"Are you aware of any reinforcements coming?"

Weiss turned back to him, frowning. "Reinforcement from _who_ exactly-"

" _Citizens of Vale- please remain calm."_

Both huntsman turned their eyes to the sky- lo and behold, the white armored armada of Atlas began to soar into view. The smaller ships' sides opened up, Atlesian androids and soldiers falling to the city below, guns raised and firing at any grimm in sight. The larger ships began firing a volley of lasers and bullets, focusing on the larger grimm rampaging through the city.

The duo looked around at the soldiers beginning to push the creatures back, the massive force of proverbial cavalry quickly turning the tide.

Weiss sheathed Myrtenaster, crossing her arms and giving Rainier a smug look. " _Atlas_ efficiency."

The faunus shook his head. "My dear, I didn't even say anything."

"You were going to."

"I was not-" He stopped as he caught her look, head bowing with a sigh. "Very well. You know me far too well."

She rolled her eyes, the huntsmen looking around for a moment. "If that's all... I think I'm going to go back to my room and take a long... _long_ nap."

The faunus stared off at the skyline for a moment, before a sudden burst of laughter overtook him, building in intensity until he had doubled over, hands on his knees, tears welling in his eyes.

Weiss' face twisted back into a snarl. "And what is so funny, Platina?"

"Ah- it's just-" He wiped a tear from his eye. "I- I think I've just become hysterical with stress. Pay me no mind!"

"...Do I _want_ to know to know what happened on your trip?"

"Aha... well... from the looks of it... we've a story or two to share!" He straightened back up, taking a deep, relieved breath, loads of tension draining from his body. "A pleasure talking to you as always, Miss Schnee. I have _needed_ this."

She shook her head, turning to march away. "...So strange."

* * *

Gold sighed as he stared at the TV screen-

"City of Vale saved by Atlesian fleet after grimm attack." The headline read, a rather flat-speaking reporter speaking of the incident, scenes of Vale's destruction playing in the background- though, not for long as Glynda Goodwitch strolled about in the background, riding crop raised into the air as the city's infrastructure repaired itself, flying into the air to return to their original places- including the enormous hole in the side of Vale's neighboring mountain, the train cleared out of the way.

The criminal sighed as he held his arm with a grimace, the limb flaring up in pain with even the slight movement. Between the samurai and the gunslinger, the arm was shot for the moment, requiring actual medical attention. That, however, was the least of his worries at the moment, a distasteful scowl crossing his face.

The attack on Vale wasn't supposed to have happened for several weeks. The White Fang, led by Roman, had screwed the entire attack

'Setback' didn't quite describe it. Even 'a mess' was an understatement.

' _Don't worry, Goldie. Everything's going to turn out just fine.'_ Cinder had told him.

He hoped so.

He still had a rematch to keep.

And he'd be damned if he didn't avenge his wounded pride.

* * *

Rainier sighed from his position atop his dorm's roof, watching the sun set in the distance, dark bags hanging under yellow eyes, legs kicking idly as they hung over the ledge.

"Rainier?" The faunus smiled in slight content as Blake walked towards him, frowning, black boots clacking against the tiles of the roof. "Why did you call me up here?"

The Vacuoan said nothing as his fellow faunus joined him, tanned face taking a content visage for the first time in the last several days.

"Rainier?" She asked again, this time in less irritation, and more genuine confusion.

"I… have almost died twice in a two day span. I've barely escaped with my life several more times over the past six months. Miss... Miss Belladonna, do you know a team by the name of... Cerberus?"

Blake paled, brilliant golden eyes widening. "Cer… were you... attacked by them?"

"Ah, yes," He nodded. "I would say that. We... tried, to fight them off. It went poorly."

She sat down next to him, staring at him in concern. "Are you guys alright? Did anybody get hurt?"

"Ah... no. None of us. Our mentor, Sise Tsuki, though... didn't make it out nearly as unblemished. He's... alright, last I had heard. Blake... who are these guys?"

She shook her head. "...They're Sienna Khan's personal attack dogs. They're shock troopers, assassins- the guys she sends in to clean up messes quickly, and then they get back out. You... you guys…"

"Are lucky we survived? I feel as if I say that every few weeks. Well… thank you for that information. It hardly makes me any more comfortable, but... thank you nonetheless."

"Sure… Oc... Octavius. How many... restraints did he open?"

Rainier sighed. "Three, I believe? I don't truly remember. The last one he opened sent a scorching wave of air at us, if that helps at all."

Blake sighed, surprisingly in relief.

"How…" He began, turning to her for the first time, face drawn up in a frown. "Many… restraints does he have?"

"…Eight. He has eight."

"My gods."

"Be thankful he didn't open anymore."

"Are they all so dramatic?"

"I've only ever seen him open up five, and it took him out of commission for a few days. Still... what he did with even that much power..." She shook her head. "It would've been more than enough to kill you five."

"Well... how lovely."

The duo sat in silence for a few moments before Rainier bowed his head. "That... wasn't all that I had called you up here for."

She frowned again. "What else was there?"

He opened his mouth to speak, before stalling, hands clutching and unclutching as he worked up his courage. "Miss... Blake… I…" He sighed again. "...I want to apologize. I apologize for everything I've said to you, and the ways I've treated you. It's been unbecoming and you have done nothing to deserve it," Blake stared at him with an expression he couldn't quite place. "There's much you don't know about me, and I've worked hard to keep it that way. But I imagine that there's much that I don't know about you either. I... suppose the last few days have put the last few years in a new light for me. Blake, I enjoy who you are, and... I forgive who you were. If it means anything to you after the last few months. And... if you'd accept a poor wolf's apology."

She stared at him for a long few moments, before a small smile claimed her face. "...You know, I always thought it was funny that it was the two of us who fought. Out of all sixteen of us: the two faunus were the ones who bickered the most. I guess I never stopped to think that you might have had your reasons for hating the White Fang. I don't know why; and if you don't want to tell me, I don't need to know. I guess... I don't need to forgive you. There's nothing to apologize for. But... thank you. For thinking enough of me _to_ apologize."

Rainier smiled broadly back to her, before lifting his hand. "To new friendships."

"...To new friendships." She took the offered limb, shaking it. The two faunus rose to their feet, turning to watch the sun continue to set below the horizon.

"I suppose I should let you return to your team," He said quietly. "Give the girls my regards. Goodnight, Miss Belladonna." He saluted her- and then leaned backwards over the edge of the building, teetering backwards before beginning to fall. At the last moment, he arced his back, lashing onto the edge of a window sill, threw it open, and scrambled back inside, shutting it behind him- not before waving up at the night sky.

Blake watched him go, shaking her head at the act of athleticism from her fellow faunus. She gave a tiny wave back, before turning on her heel, marching back the way she came.

* * *

"Ms. Copper." Shinai said without opening his eyes, sat on one of the benches littering Beacon's campus, face turned towards the setting sun.

"Hey." She said quietly, sitting next to him, legs folded underneath her.

That prompted him to look over at her, face falling slightly. "Are you... alright?"

"I... no. It's been a long few days."

"I see."

"I just... wanted to say thank you. For what you said to me that night. I... think I'm starting to figure this whole thing out."

"Good," He said quietly, with a short nod. "Your team needs you."

"Yeah... I... have you ever messed up? Seriously messed up? Like, someone got hurt because of you?"

He faltered for a moment. "I... I don't think so."

"Our veteran huntsman got hurt during our mission. I'm the leader of DRGN, I should've stepped up, but... I didn't."

"Sometimes things happen outside of our control," He mused, purple eyes turning back towards the sunset. "The true test of your person isn't how you handle good situations, ones that you understand, but those that are unfortunate, that you can't account for."

She gave him a quiet chuckle, shaking her head. "You're just full of proverbs, aren't you?"

"When my friends need them, yes."

Daria went quiet for a minute, the duo letting the sun bath them in its warm glow. "...Are you leaving? After the tournament, I mean."

"I... I'm not sure."

"If you're not- or even if you are, maybe- I'd... if you'd let me- I'd like to train with you during the vacation."

"...Oh."

"I've got a commitment to my team, as their leader. And you're great at it! I... think I could learn a lot from you."

"I... will see what I can do."

"Thanks, Shinai."

The duo lapsed back into silence, before he broke it, eyes closed again. "You're not a poor leader, Daria. Inexperienced, immature; maybe,"

"Gee, thanks."

"But not a poor leader. It was easy for me to bring my team together. That was never going to be as easy for you, not with the four of you. But you've managed it, in your own way. That's something to be proud of."

"...Thanks."

"But yes. There are areas that you need to improve on. And no matter the circumstances, I'd be more than happy to help you find your stride as a leader."

"Gods, you're such a weird guy."

"Yes. I suppose I am."

She chuckled, a small smile claiming his face as well.

And the two leaders sat, enjoying the sun setting over Beacon Academy.


	16. Chapter 11: Time to Say Goodbye

**Chapter 11: Time to Say Goodbye**

* * *

The sounds of metal clashing against metal filled the courtyard, sparks flying into the growing light, the sun rising in the distance.

Lance swung low, Iron Maw narrowly missing its mark as Shinai leapt above it, knees hugging his chest. The samurai slashed downwards, missing his mark as the blonde huntsman rolled away, Shi En slicing against the ground.

The greatswordsman kipped up to his feet, dragging Iron Maw across the concrete as he dashed away, free hand raised in acquiescence. "Alright, alright, I yield, I yield!"

Shinai gave his teammate a small head nod, resheathing his blade as the duo made their way off to the side.

"I saw it though-" Lance began, dropping his coat onto the ground as he took a long drink from his mug. "I was way too slow on that draw- and definitely way too slow trying to follow it up."

His leader nodded back as he took a drink himself. "A lesser opponent might not have taken the risk to counter. You can't always underestimate your opponents though."

The larger huntsman put a shocked hand to his chest. "Shinai? Bragging? Unheard of!"

Oracle nudged her partner, tipping her hat back on her head, sitting backwards on her chair at the moment. "How come it's blondie that always takes his shirt off, huh, Captain? Not even once?"

Shinai simply gave her a flat, long look.

"Aight. Point taken."

Lance snorted as he sat down on the bench beside her. "You love it and you know it."

"Mm... never said that."

"You thought it."

"Nnnope. Can't say I did, hon."

Ulysses cleared his throat pointedly as he rose to his feet, twirling Avenger around. "I'll take Kyani."

The greatswordsman idly gestured off towards their leader, the samurai nodding. "After you, big man. I'm tired of getting schooled."

The two dark huntsman exchanged nods as they stepped away from the bystanders, readying their weapons at their sides.

Daria stared at the duo with a frown from her perch on the bench, Gail off to her side, quietly buried in a book. "Tournament starts in two days, guys. Don't you think you should take it easy?"

Oracle straightened up, face falling into a stony expression. "'Iron sharpens iron!' 'Be as ready as possible for the tournament!' You know the captain. This how he works."

Lance shrugged as he leaned over the back of the bench, taking a swig from his water bottle. "Hey. The captain got us this far."

"Give yourself some credit, hon. And me some while you're at it."

"No, for real. I think I'm a great fighter," The blonde swordsman pointed at the two combatants ahead of them. " _He_ made us a great team."

Oracle shrugged. "I mean… you're not wrong. But he's only as good as the parts he's got to mess with."

"Well... I'd agree to that, but I think Shinai could make any team top-tier."

"Yeah, but you're the sloppiest member on this team, and I'd put a bet on you in any fight, 'gainst just about anyone."

Lance turned to her, unimpressed. "Cowboy Queen of Backhanded Compliments, right here. You make it an art, O."

"I know, and you'd be lost without me, blondie."

He sighed, leaning back into his seat. "At least the Captain picks up my slack. Guys like him, Pyrrha, Rainier, hell, even Yang? That's some next level stuff. Those are the kind of people I'm scared of running into this tourney," His head bowed for a moment, before a frown claimed his face, turning back to the leader of DRGN. "Where's wolfie and Nash anyways?"

Daria slumped slightly, her enthusiasm draining from her. "...Nash is working on his mech."

"Ah. Yeah. Those… Cerberus guys, right?"

"...Yeah."

Lance and Oracle shared a concerned look, before a grin reclaimed the blonde's face. "Cheer up, Copper. Next time we see them, it'll be all of us. We'll see how how big and bad they are then."

Daria gave him a small, thin smile, before casting her gaze back down, troubled expression belaying her disbelief.

Oracle reached around her teammate and gave the leader a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. "Where is Rain anyways? Never like him to miss a fight?"

The shorter girl turned over her shoulder, peering off into the depths of Beacon, a note of sadness creeping into her expression.

* * *

Rainier stared hard at the wall, blinking tears away as his breathing hitched. "Stop it." He hissed to himself, wiping at his face with the sleeve of his jacket, the white fabric coming away damp.

He didn't stop blinking, focusing terribly hard on centering his breathing, failing horribly.

"Rain?"

He jumped in shock, turning towards the silhouetted form of Daria walking towards him, face pulled up in concern.

"Ah, Daria! I'm sorry, I was just-"

"You're… fine. Are you?"

He turned his gaze back to the wall, wiping at his eyes again. "…No. No, I don't think so."

His leader walked towards him- and sat down across the dark hallway from him, staring at him with a frown.

She didn't say anything though, simply sitting quietly.

Rainier avoided her gaze, ducking his head to stare at the ground between his feet. So the duo sat quietly for minutes, time stretching on in silence before he finally opened his mouth, not deigning to raise his eyes yet.

"I have to beat Shinai."

Her eyes snapped back to him. "What?"

"I have to beat him."

"W…why?"

"Because. Because I have to. I have to. I don't know why, and I don't expect you to understand. But I have to. I know none of that excuses everything I've done, everything I've missed, but… I don't know. You deserve to know."

"I…" She trailed off, staring at him. "Is that why…"

"Why I missed the dance. Why I show up exhausted every night. Why I avoid SOUL. It's an obsession, I know, but I can't escape it. I have to beat him."

"…Rain, who knows if you'll even face off during the tournament?"

He shook his head. "If we don't, I'll wait for my next chance. And the one after that."

"Where… where is this even coming from?"

Rainier took a _deep_ breath in, then let it out slowly. "…In… In Vacuo, it's important to find your place, and to prove your worth. That is Vacuoan culture. In turn, it can… instill some… unhealthy habits. Do you want to know how good Shinai is? In sanctioned matches- tournaments, etc- he is 28-1. _28-1_. Pyrrha is the only person who has ever beat him. That is how good he is... and _he beat me._ With ease."

Daria stared at him silently, letting him continue.

"He's better than me. I know that, and so does he... But that's not good enough. I have to prove that he's not. For you. For Gail, and Nash, and my family. For me. For my pride. I have to prove that he's not better than me. I don't expect you to understand. But… I want you to know that I'm sorry, for all that I have done. And I hope you forgive me. And I hope that you support me."

"I… I do."

He let out a shaky breath that he didn't know he'd been holding, a slight smile claiming his face as he closed his eyes. "…Do you want to know what Tsuki showed me in his 'Nightmare'?"

The DRGN team leader pursed her lips, but nodded anyways, her gaze locked onto his face, the tears beginning to well in the corners of his own eyes.

"I was back at my family's villa in Tear's Fall. It was just like how I'd left it. It was like a waking memory. My brother, father, sister, and mother were there. Acting like they always act. Remarkably accurate. But… do you want to know what the 'Nightmare' part was?"

She nodded again.

"In my arms, swaddled in… in her blanket was…" He trailed off, breath hitching. "In her little blue blanket was a skeleton. A little, baby skeleton. That… that was Priscilla. My little baby sister, Priscilla," Tears began to fall freely down his face.

He sucked in a sobbing breath. "Oh, she was the most beautiful thing. Bright white hair, tanned skin, my mother's lilac eyes- a- a- a little, _mischievous_ smile planted on her face always. But in the dream… she was gone. And I couldn't let her go… I couldn't… I couldn't do anything," He breathed in shakily. "And everyone acted like she wasn't even there. Like nothing was wrong at all. I couldn't put her down- or- or-" He bowed his head, burying his face in his sleeve as he struggled to keep his composure.

Daria silently scooted over to his side, sitting by him and leaning her head against his shoulder.

Rainier brought his head back up, looking to the ceiling and letting out a choked sob, face a despairing grimace. "Gah. My little baby sister. _Priscilla_. I haven't said that name in five years…"

"What happened?" She asked quietly.

"Uh… in… when… the Platinas have… always been so staunchly anti-White Fang. It… We're a… a very influential family in Vacuo. My- at the time my father, now my brother, is a protector of Vacuo, particularly the… the west. Known as the 'White Wolf'. The White Fang… didn't… approve of us disapproving of them… but… well, they couldn't win us over," He sighed, bowing his head again, tears falling freely to the floor boards beneath them. "So… they decided… to get rid of us entirely. After all… what else could they do? So… one day, they… marched on my family's home- a dozen of them, maybe. Led by a man by the name of… of Adam Taurus,"

"Blake mentioned him." Daria muttered.

"…Right. But… they apparently did not know our family too well… Adam being stationed in Vale and all. So, they weren't… prepared for us. The… the six of us. We held them off and sent the… well, the survivors running. But…" He trailed off, pain finding its way back to his face as tears came anew. "Before we found them… they'd already been… been in our home. And they'd… they'd already found…" He cut himself off with a sob.

"They'd already found Priscilla. When we found her… she… she…" He let his head fall again, breath shaky as it left him. "She was already gone." He managed to finish with a choked whisper.

Daria said nothing wrapping her arms and holding him close to her.

"She's… buried in a small shrine behind our villa, overlooking the sea. She loved the sea. Priscilla," He sighed, wiping at his eyes. "Thank you. I haven't… I haven't told that story since it happened. Thank you… please remind me; before we all leave for vacation, I want to tell that story to Blake."

Daria nodded, rising to her feet, one hand resting on his shoulder. "I'm going to get some food. Do you want to come?"

He waved her off gently. "I'll pass for now, Daria-"

"How long has it been since you've called me Dearest Daria?"

He smiled slightly at the memory. "Well… you told me to stop."

"I was mad at you."

"And I never go against a friend's wishes."

"Well… you have my permission."

He turned his smile towards her, pale yellow eyes misty. "Dearest Daria. Yes, I quite like that. Thank you- for the offer. But… I have a maelstrom of previously buried emotions to deal with at the moment. I'll come find you later, yes?"

She smiled. "Yes. Take your time, Rain."

"Thank you." He whispered as she walked down the hallway away from him, leaving him sitting alone.

* * *

Cinder stared at Rainier, glowing ember eyes twinkling with ideas. She backed away from the hallway, strolling back outside, pressing a hand to her ear. "Congrats, Goldie. Your intuition wins again."

" _What now?"_

"The little wolf is _obsessed_ with the samurai."

" _Called it. What's the plan?"_

"Oh… I think I can swing something." She trailed off with a victorious smile.

* * *

Daria frowned as she picked her way forwards through Beacon's mechanical shop, the whirring of machines filling the air. She marched towards the only light in the building, sparks flying up from beneath it.

"Naaash?" She asked quietly.

"WHAT!" A voice yelled back, the machines ceasing activity.

Definitely Nash.

She rounded a corner, looking at her partner with a frown.

The boy was currently stationed on top of a ladder, blowtorch in hand, tools laid out over Phalanx's shoulders. The boy was staring at Daria, welding helmet perched on top of his head. He was covered in grease, fingers wrapped in bandages. Dark bags hung over his eyes- but he still retained the childlike look somehow.

"Nash, it's almost midnight." She said, still frowning.

The boy blinked and looked around, eyes locking onto the windows of the shop and the pitch black sky outside. "Oh. Huh. Yeah, guess it is."

"You coming to the dorm anytime soon."

"Uh…" He stared at his mech, Phalanx stripped of paint, but looking relatively put back together. "N…o? Can I stay? I'm almost done, pinky promise."

Daria shook her head. "Yes, you can stay. Just don't stay up all night, okay?"

"Will do! Or… not do? I dunno. Just gotta finish the head, and get some new paint goin' and I'll be done!"

"Okay. Door'll be open."

"Night Daria!"

She turned on her heel, pointing at him with narrowed eyes. "No all-nighter!"

He saluted her with a broad, goofy smile. "Pinky promise!"

* * *

Nash groaned as he rolled over. "Close the curtaaaains."

Daria glared at her partner. "What did I say?"

"It wasn't… all night…"

"FOUR O'CLOCK IS STILL AN ALL-NIGHTER!"

He groaned again as he put his pillow on top of his head.

"And you are not allowed to take a nap!"

"Whyyyy."

"Because tomorrow's the first rounds of the tournament, and you cannot be tired tomorrow morning, so you need a good night's sleep."

The boy whined. "Rainiiiier."

The faunus shrugged. "She's correct, my short friend."

"Uuuuughn."

"But she is! We must all be prepared as possible for this tournament. It will not be easy," He turned his eyes to his teammates. "That means you two as well. Whatever you need to do to be ready, please do it, yes?"

Daria nodded. "Seriously. Everyone in this tournament had to qualify for it, just like we did. Whatever you gotta do to get in the right mindset- do it. Savvy?"

"I believe that's my line."

"Mine now."

Rainier shrugged.

* * *

" _This tournament's going to be the absolute hardest thing we'll do this year."_

Nash sat atop Phalanx, freshly painted with red and gold, blue eyes trained on the Colosseum floating high above Vale, banners flying in the wind. He reached down and patted his mech, nodding to himself

* * *

" _It'll be tough. The other teams that we'll be facing will be ready for us."_

Gail breathed in deeply from her perch in the tree, legs crossed beneath her as she centered her breathing, feeling the dying light of the sun wash over her. She swallowed hard and nodded. "For them."

* * *

" _Whether they be Beacon, Shade, Haven, or Atlas- everybody's gunning for everybody."_

Ulysses grunted as he hammered away at the punching bag, hands wrapped in tape, earbuds blaring with music as he rained down blow after blow, face pulled up in a determined scowl. He pulled his fist all the way back- and let loose, the punching bag going flying off of its hook and soaring to the other side of the room.

* * *

" _We're fighting for our school, our Kingdom- adopted or not- and each other."_

Lance huffed as he hefted himself up, pushing himself above the cross bar and holding himself up for a long few moments. Breathing out, he lowered himself back own- then pulled himself up again, sky blue eyes hard as scenario upon scenario blared through his mind as he ran through the tournament over, and over, and over again.

* * *

" _No matter what, I'm proud of how far we've come."_

Oracle spun on her heel, firing her revolvers as fast as she could manage, the trees around her shredding from the bullets. Pirouetting, she effortlessly unloaded the shells from her pistols, and replaced the canisters with ridiculous speed, turning on her heel the opposite direction, firing into the trees again- this time a little bit faster.

And then she did it again.

A little bit faster. And a little bit faster.

* * *

" _But a finalist position is rather appetizing, isn't it?"_

Daria stared at the papers in front of her-

 _RWBY, SOUL, JNPR, CRDL, DRGN-_

Brown eyes shooting across their contents as she ran through each report over, and over, and over again, nodding to herself as she scrawled sloppy notes on a paper to her side, plans, strategies, ideas and so many other notes filling her mind as she ran through each Beacon team ad nauseum, nodding in satisfaction as she leaned back, turning her gaze to the orange light of the dying sun shining through her window.

* * *

" _Whatever you have to do- we're ready. We're ready to go through anybody we have to."_

Shinai let out slow breath as he waved his hands in front of himself slowly, Shi En floating in the air before him as he centered himself. As he would be for the tournament.

Absolutely zen. Purple eyes closed as he exhaled slowly, raising one foot into the air.

As ready as he would ever be, disappearing into a cloud of purple smoke, reappearing above it, and slicing it cleanly down the middle with his katana, landing with a slow exhalation of breath.

Ready.

* * *

Rainier stared at the setting sun with pale yellow eyes, nodding to himself from his perch atop one of Beacon's many pillars, standing straight. He turned his eyes to the sky, hands stuffed in his pockets.

" _Even if they are our friends."_

* * *

 **-Volume 2-**


	17. Volume 3, Chapter 1: Vytal

**Volume 3, Chapter 1: Vytal**

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen- welcome to the fortieth biennial Vytal Festival!"

Cannons fired as confetti rained down from the sky, showering the Colosseum in color- blue, green, white and orange, representing the four kingdoms. The assorted bystanders- split into four sections by kingdom, burst out into raucous applause, the cheer audible even far down beneath Amity Colosseum, in the city of Vale itself.

Professor Port's voice rang out over the intercoms again. "Allow us to break down the rules."

"The tournament is divided into three distinctive rounds- teams, doubles, and singles. Age and school year are irrelevant! In this tournament, your only attribute being tested… is _skill_." Doctor Oobleck, a fast speaking teacher from Beacon, chimed in.

"Correct! The winners of this battle will elect two of their members to represent them in the doubles round followed by the winners of that round choosing one member to advance once again. The remaining combatants will then fight their way through the final bracket in the hope of achieving victory for their kingdom!"

"And yes, Peter, these are some spectacular spectacles on which to spectate on! I don't think anyone tuning in around the world is going to disagree with me on that!"

"Ah, and why would they? And, without further ado, let us begin the tournament!"

A gargantuan holographic screen sitting high above the colosseum's floor blinked to life, whirring through the different portraits of the thirty-two teams, the crowd watching with bated breaths as they waited for the first two teams to be chosen.

The screen slowed, new portraits coming slower and slower:

Team DRAB of Atlas- versus Team SOUL of Vale.

The respective sections of the teams burst out into applause again as the display faded, showing a full bracket for the first round- SOUL versus DRAB, RWBY versus ABRN, DRGN versus BLCK, JNPR versus BRNZ, SSSN versus NDGO, and a handful of others.

"YEAH!" Port yelled out, shooting to his feet- before sitting back down. "Er… apologies. Round one will be Team DRAB of Atlas Academy versus Beacon's own Team SOUL!"

* * *

Lance paled as he stared at the screen. "Oh noooo."

Oracle frowned. "What's-"

"We're _opening_?!"

"What's-"

He turned to her, grabbing her shoulders urgently. "What if it's not a good fight?! What if it disappoints- we're setting the bar FOR THE ENTIRE TOURNAMENT!"

Shinai turned to his teammates. "Perhaps we should be more focused on winning, rather than… looking good."

Ulysses grunted in agreement.

Lance pointed to his leader. "It'll be just as devastating to our reputations if it's a sloppy fight!"

Oracle shook her head, brushing his other hand off and turning towards the stadium floor. "You're somethin' else, hon. 'Sides- what's the worst that could happen."

* * *

SOUL stared at their opponents in various stages of dumbfounded.

"When…" Lance began, combing his hair back reflexively. "They said Atlas…"

"This isn't what I was expecting." Oracle finished frowning in distaste as she peered over the top of her aviators.

Shinai placed a hand onto Shi En's handle. "Don't underestimate them. The game plan still stands."

"Are… are you sure, captain?"

Standing across from them- was Team DRAB.

The four Atlesians were gathered, much like SOUL, on the other side of the platform. The one front and center was currently doing one-armed push-ups, eyes locked onto Shinai's-

"You like that, scrub?!" He barked over to the samurai. He was dressed in white battle armor over black, baggy fatigues. His chest, forearms, elbows, and legs were well protected under the armor, and a helmet sat to his side, alongside a hulking assault rifle littered with seemingly random attachments. He was fair skinned with dark hair cut in a fade, long on top and dyed stark white. "I'll be seeing you nerds here in a minute!"

Behind him were his three teammates- two of which were currently in the middle of a standing arm-wrestling contest. The significantly smaller one (and the smallest of the team) was dressed in darker armor than his leader, white metal straps holding the holster to his weapon across his shoulder blades, and his pants a white color, tucked into dark boots like his armor. He was dark skinned, with a fade like his leader's, but the hair atop his head braided backwards.

The girl he was arm-wrestling with at the moment stood maybe a half a foot taller than him, body filled out with muscle. She was paler than her teammates, a baseball cap perched on top of her head. She was wearing a dark tank-top, matching dark baggy pants tucked into leather boots. A white armor pauldron covered one shoulder, a strap attaching it to the horizontal strip of armor running from her collarbone to her hip, another chunk of white metal protecting one of her legs. Attached to her back was a hulking white barrel, a strip feeding from it to the equally as hulking minigun discarded on the ground- black metal, and painted with a shark's visage towards the barrels. In the middle of said barrels was a huge, wicked javelin, gleaming in the Colosseum's light.

She was, at the moment, rather casually beating her teammate, looking around boredly.

Off to the side from them was the final member of DRAB, standing much more poised than their teammates. They were covered in head to toe in white armor over a black armor-like undersuit, a helmet perched onto their head staring impassively at SOUL through their black visor. A shield perched onto their right arm, while a bladeless sword was clutched in their right hand- the same white and black armor as their suit.

"They look like a couple of douchebags." Lance said, scuffing his boot against the white tile floor of the platform.

"Say that again to my face, scrublord!" The DRAB leader called over, stopping his push-ups to glare at the blonde swordsman.

"YOU LOOK LIKE DOUCHEBAGS!"

"YOU'RE! GONNA! DIE!" He called back between push-ups. "SEE ME! SWEATIN'! SCRUB?!"

Lance smiled. "I like 'em."

"Captain?"

Shinai nodded. "Stick with the plan. Lance- keep doing that,"

"Being a dick?"

Another nod. "Those three- throw them off if you can."

Oracle shared the nod. "Hotheads."

Lance grinned. "That I can do."

"Watch out for the armored one in the back."

"The poised one?"

"Yes. That one I'm worried about, but don't underestimate the other three."

"Team SOUL of Beacon versus Team DRAB of Atlas!" Port called over the intercom, all eight fighters tensing and stepping forwards. On a holographic screen off to the side of the platform, two icons popped up- and began cycling through several different images, before slowing-

On the image of a volcano, and the image of a meadow.

On cue, the area behind SOUL raised into the air, bringing with it a hellscape dominated by an immense volcano. On the opposite side, behind DRAB, a gentler, rolling meadow of hills rose up.

"3!"

Both teams tensed.

"2!"

SOUL began spreading, eyes locked onto their opponents.

"1!"

DRAB all leaned forwards, weapons drawn.

"Begin!"

Team SOUL disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

The Atlesians skidded to stops from where they'd been charging, faces screwed up in confusion.

The leader shouldered his gun. "What the fu-"

He was rudely cut off as another cloud enveloped the huntsman, waving a hand in his face and… coughing, for whatever reason, as he'd already placed his helmet atop his head. "CAN'T SEE A DAMN THING-"

He trailed off as the smoke began parting- just enough for him to catch a glimpse of Shinai's purple eyes.

"ALL UNITS, BE ADVISED, KYANI IS DEAD AHEAD-"

"YEAH, WE SEE HIM, DELTA!"

"DO NOT TALK DOWN TO YOUR SUPERIOR OFFICER, CHEGS!"

"OH FOR FU-"

They didn't get a chance to continue the conversation as Shinai leapt in the air, corkscrewing as he swiped at the two Atlesian's heads. The duo scattered as they dodged the blow- only for the shorter one, Romeo, to be bodily dragged from the smoke with a yelp.

"WELP, THAT WAS TERRIFYING!" Delta shouted as he scrambled away from the samurai.

On the other side of the smoke cloud, Ulysses snarled as he chucked the significantly smaller huntsman away, clearing the platform and sending him towards the volcano-scape with a fading scream of shock.

He snorted as he turned back towards the other fighters- as a hulking metal object collided with his face. Recoiling from the blow, he turned enraged eyes up to his attacker- the hulking woman swiped at her nose as she shouldered her minigun.

"Yer not so big. Or tough. C'mon then, twinkle toes. Make my day."

Ulysses slowly rose to his feet, pupils expanding slightly as the slightest hints of smoke began to curl from his body. He let Avenger fall to the ground, inclining his head and cracking his neck as he snarled, stepping towards the Atlesian.

The duo were completely unaware of the rest of the melee as Shinai dashed forwards, engaging the leader of Team DRAB as the armored man grunted curses at the samurai, bringing up his hulking gun to block as many sword swipes as he could, lagging behind Shinai's measured strikes, letting a few get in as he yelped intermittently.

Delta was relieved of the onslaught as the other helmeted figure leapt over their leader, bringing their sword down and catching Shinai across the chest, sending him stumbling away as they twirled their blade- now a long, glowing green slab of energy, holding their shield up defensively with their off arm.

"Drop, Fox!"

The huntsman did, dropping low to the ground- giving Delta plenty of room to fire his gun off, a shockwave sending the samurai flying away, tumbling through the air as he attempted to spin and catch himself.

"That was for the thing! THE THING YOU DID!"

In vain, really, as Lance dashed from the original smoke cloud, catching his leader by the back of his collar and forcing him to rotate, landing with armored boots against the ground, not wasting any time and dashing forwards alongside his teammate.

"Sloppy, my man!"

"Shut up- _switch_!"

At the last second before rejoining the melee, the duo switched spots- the Atlesians they had previously been staring off with following the movements in brief lapses of concentration.

The two swordsman brought their blades up, Lance swinging wildly with his one hand, Shinai striking out with lightning fast speed as they put Fox and Delta on the defensive, the Atlesians backing away from the onslaught.

As the four combatants faced off- two dealing out blows, and the other two avoiding them- Ulysses reached the other member of DRAB, snarl widening as she smirked.

"Yea. You ain't so-"

The girl disappeared, flying across the battlefield towards the hills on the other side. The brooding huntsman didn't let up, dashing after her and letting out another clobbering blow with his off hand as her eyes widened blankly, not processing what was happening.

Ducking low, he wrapped a hand around her ankle and sent her careening out of the air to crash into the short cut grass of the hills, turning on his heel and throwing her away yet again. The girl smashed into the ground, rolling several feet away before stumbling to her feet, except; her skin was a gleaming silver, shining in the stadium lights.

"Aight, big guy!" She barked, bringing her minigun up and holding it at her hip- before pulling the trigger, dozens of bullets firing at Ulysses as he charged forwards, arms held protectively in front of him as the bullet rain fell on him.

* * *

From across the battlefield, skirting away from a trail of lava creeping a little too close to him, Romeo scowled at the six other combatants, holding his curved sword at the melee, thumb flicking up to flip a small switched on the barrel attached to the blade's handle. "I'll teach you to forget about…" He began, before trailing off, mind pulling a blank as he stared at the combatants.

"1, 2, 3…" He muttered under his breath as he lowered his sword slightly.

Right before something metal tapped against his shoulder. He turned to it- and the nonchalant face of Oracle, hat pulled back on her head and a toothpick held in her mouth.

"What's up?"

* * *

Shinai turned to his teammate out of the corner of his eye, Lance catching it. "Top!"

The blonde swung his greatsword in a wide arc, hulking blade running parallel to the ground as he aimed it towards his opponents' necks. The duo of Atlesians dodged it, scampering backwards.

Shinai, however, leapt upwards, planting his boots onto the blade and vaulting up and over to flank Delta and Fox.

"HEY, THAT'S UH… SOMETHING!" The DRAB leader yelped in surprise, turning on his heel to the samurai.

"I see that!" Fox yelled back, voice distorted through their helmet as they brought their shield up to block a swing from the greatswordsman. Lance twirled expertly and struck low with his sword, sweeping for the warrior's feet, narrowly missing as the huntsman brought their knees to their chest, leaping the blow. Despite that, Lance lifted his free hand, clenching it into a fist, an orb of blue energy exploding in Fox's face.

They yelped and stumbled backwards from the impact, colliding with Delta's back and sending their leader right into the waiting arms of Shinai, the samurai turning on his heel and hip throwing the Atlesian over him and into the stone floor. Without wasting any momentum, Shinai twirled his katana and sent a swipe for Delta's throat, gleaming blade of Shi En nearly meeting its target before the white armored huntsman brought his gun up and fired again, another shockwave sending Shinai high into the air, twirling wildly as he attempted to keep purple eyes locked onto the melee.

Delta turned a knob on the side of his gun, and cocked his head to the side, firing again- this time, however, a round ball flew from the barrel, careening into the air and coming to rest shortly beneath Shinai. Another turn of the knob, and another pull of the trigger was followed with the bang of a gunshot, the bullet hitting the ball and setting off an explosion in the air, the samurai enveloped in a cloud of smoke.

"You had a nice run, but then _I_ happened."

Lance faltered as he stared at the cloud where his leader had previously been, frowning at the lack of a body falling to the ground, but didn't get the chance to question it as Fox's shield bashed into the bridge of his nose, his head swinging backwards from the blow.

* * *

Ulysses charged forwards at full speed, the woman's bullets impacting his form as he cleared the distance quickly, bringing a knee up and pushing the gatling gun's barrels away from him, the trail of bullets moving to the side. Without hesitating, he reared back and threw a punch with all of the force he could muster, black-taped hand slamming into her nose, the steel absorbing the impact fairly well, his knuckles beginning to throb from the pain. Even so, her head whipped back from the blow, and he swung upwards with Avenger, the black steel flail catching her under the chin and sending her tumbling into the air, clutching her gun tightly as she began firing again, concentrated stream of bullets flying about the battlefield, trying wildly to re-aim them onto the black-clad huntsman.

Said huntsman, however, swung his flail around him and sent it soaring towards his opponent, catching her against the side of her legs and sending her pirouetting in the air, gatling gun now firing all across the arena, bullets impacting harmlessly into the shield protecting the spectators from the violence.

Ulysses took a few steps backwards before taking off at a run, vaulting into the air towards the girl, wrapping his arms around her and sending them both soaring towards the ground, even as she batted against his back, steel hands making dull thuds echo throughout the arena- before they went crashing back towards the center podium.

* * *

Romeo stared up at Oracle with wide eyes. "Uh-"

"Yuh-huh, darlin'."

She struck out with both boots, smashing them into his face and sending him tumbling away back down the slope of the volcano. She took off after him, sliding down the loose soil, firing her revolvers one after another, heavy bullets impacting with his form and sending him further and further back towards the center podium.

Romeo rolled to his feet, scowling at the redhead and reaiming his sword. "Friggin' Vale!" He spat as he pulled a trigger.

With a dull 'thoomp' and a flash of light, a small missile fired from the weapon's barrel, trail of smoke following it as it soared towards the gunslinger.

Her eyes widened and she dove to the side as it impacted next to her, a small explosion sending her tumbling to the side. She recovered quickly and fired her guns quickly, some of the bullets hitting their marks while others were deftly blocked by the Atlesian's curved sword.

Oracle dashed forwards, ready to re-engage her opponent- before a cacophonous, quick succession of booms filled the arena. She skid to a stop, and both huntsmen turned back to the center platform.

On the ground was a cloud of dust, thrown up by the remains of the stone tile, while high above the battleground, a cloud of smoke hung lazily. The two combatants looked at the clouds for a brief moment, before turning owlish eyes back to each other- and with dual scowls, dashed towards the fight proper.

* * *

Lance recoiled from Fox's shield bash, stumbling away- and narrowly avoiding the colossal forms of Ulysses and his opponent smashing into the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust as the dull sounds of flesh against metal filled the now concealed battleground.

"Duh? Uh? HOLY CRAP, I'M STILL ALIVE." Delta barked. The blonde swordsman took the opportunity to clench his fist, concentrating on an explosion from where he had heard the voice.

A flash of blue, and he was rewarded with a surprised scream and- "WHAT THE HELL."

There was a whir of movement behind Lance, and he grit his teeth, preparing to turn on his heel- before a familiar voice whispered. " _Ssh_ …"

A flash of purple entered his sight before disappearing. And as the huntsman watched, the flash of purple appeared, disappeared, then reappeared repeatedly, filling the arena with a thick swathe of purple smoke. The members of DRAB and SOUL coughed and waved hands in front of their faces. As the glint of purple eyes took the situation in appraisingly.

* * *

Romeo slowed in his run as he stared at the mess of purple that was consuming the center platform. "What in the ass is he doing?!"

Oracle skid to a stop as well, raising her revolvers, coy smile cocked on her face. "Ah, captain. You know me so well."

"What?"

"Nothin'. Just musin'."

"Okay, first off- WHAT!"

The gunslinger shrugged- then leapt into the air, corkscrewing and planting a boot firmly onto the Atlesian's jawline, sending him tumbling meters away, rolling and bouncing across the ground, a groan of pain escaping his lips as he rose to his feet.

"I- _HATE-_ THIS!"

He spat that just in time to see Oracle finish reloading her revolvers, only- they were now glowing brilliant gold, the same energy coursing along her form, jacket's design glowing, as well as her eyes, pupils disappearing altogether as she raised her right hand, staring down the iron sights and closing one eye as she took aim.

Putting two and two together quickly, Romeo scrambled forwards, aiming his sword at the gunslinger. "DAMN, BALLS, PIECE OF- DELTAAAA!" Without another word, he pulled the trigger in a panic.

Too slow though, a resounding 'boom' filling the colosseum.

* * *

"DELTAAAA!"

The aforementioned leader of Team DRAB looked up, still waving a hand in front of his face. "Huh? Chegs? That you? Mic check!"

 _Boom_

With surprising speed, a glowing supernova of a bullet came slicing through the now very thick smoke, narrowly missing the Atlesian- but finding its mark nonetheless.

The hulking steel-covered girl who had _just_ regained her bearings whipped backwards as if struck by a mack truck, neck bending to its limits as the cannon-like shot met the middle of her forehead with a dull explosion. Like a blur, she disappeared from the smoke, rolling and clattering against the stone podium, before coming to rest, steel fading back to her original pink skin.

"Sierra Bravo has been eliminated!" Oobleck cried out over the intercom.

"AH SHIT!" Delta yelled from the cloud. "ALRIGHT! TIME TO LEVEL THE HELL UP- ATTENTION EVERYONE! I AM GETTING A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN I WAS A SECOND AGO!"

"Romeo!" Fox yelled in response.

* * *

Oracle blinked and turned to the side- to the rocket barreling towards her, green eyes going wide as the announcers announced her target's elimination. "Oh come on-"

She moved to leap out of the way, knowing full well that she was too slow, when a less-than-a-blur moved towards her, an explosion going off as she expected- but surprisingly avoiding her entirely.

Her vision slowly trailed downwards- to Lance kneeling before her, bracing himself under his greatsword and using it as a rather effective shield for the two of them.

He looked back up to her with curious and slightly panicked blue eyes. "Yo, you good?"

"I mean… yeah. Didja have to save me like _that_ though?"

"…What?"

"I mean… I'm kinda all about that… savin' myself thing?"

He rose to his feet, throwing a hand up. "Was I just supposed to let you get knocked?!"

"I mean… naw. But… maybe… I dunno, hon. I'm grateful, don't get me wrong, but-"

"But you'd rather save yourself. Fine. You know what? I've got a gift for ya- you can go fight the scary sword dude, and I'll face chicken-nuts over there."

"HEY! NOBODY CALLS ME CHICKEN!"

"STRIKE THAT, CHICKEN! NOBODY BUT ME CALLS YOU CHICKEN! YOU ARE ABOUT TO GET K-THE-F-OED! _KNOCKED THE FRAG OUT_!"

The duo were interrupted as Delta appeared next to them surprisingly quickly, going for a simultaneous bash with his gun and a kick, the Vale huntsmen scattering quickly.

The swordsman and the gunslinger looked over Delta's shoulder and met each other's eyes, acknowledgement lighting up between them as they turned their gaze to the Atlesian leader.

* * *

Shinai watched the DRAB leader disappear from the smoke with a previously not displayed speed, before turning his gaze back to Fox, the huntsman doing their best to escape the thick cloud of smoke. The samurai brandished his blade as he felt a looming presence rise from the ground behind him, black smoke like that of a fire's mixing with his own.

He didn't bother turning to Ulysses as they strode in unison after the armored Atlesian.

Fox had retreated far from the swathe of smoke, staring at it anxiously, shield and sword held at the ready- and watched, as Shinai strode slowly from the smoke, purple billowing off of him as he held his katana to the side. And then watched as standing right behind him, Ulysses walked out much the same, Avenger clenched in his hand, eyes nearly completely black and black, and purple smoke curling off of him.

The Atlesian swallowed and bent their legs down in a battle stance, staring the duo down as they deigned to simply walk forwards, faces emotionless. Fox looked off hesitantly to the side, where Romeo was frowning in distaste, and Delta was engaged in a two-on-one fight with the other members of Team SOUL.

Decision made, Fox dashed to the side, and the comforting distaste of their smallest teammate.

* * *

Romeo frowned at his leader and the two other combatants as he lowered his sword. "No, yeah, I've got one really cool trick up my sleeve, and you get in the way. Great. Awesome. Good decision-" He trailed off as Fox joined him quickly, almost… scrambling. "Fox?"

He trailed off again as he looked over to the direction they had come from, and the now approaching figures of Shinai and Ulysses.

"Oh come on."

* * *

Delta didn't waste any time after narrowly missing his targets, kicking out quickly at the shin of Lance- the blonde's feet going out from under him- and throwing an elbow at Oracle, the redhead narrowly ducking it. She quickly fired quickly into the armored huntsman's midsection, golden shots bursting against his armor as he let out over-exaggerated grunts, stumbling away, before bringing his gun up, a shockwave sending Lance flying away as Oracle spun away from the blast.

She watched her teammate go, coat flapping in the air as he flailed, before turning her attention back to Delta, sending out a vicious kick for his midsection.

His hand shot to the side and caught it. "HAHAHA-"

She cut off his laughter with another volley of golden shots, before her revolver clicked emptily.

"Revenge is a dish best- duh… uh… _uhhhI eat revenge for breakfast_!" He threw her boot to the side, the girl pirouetting in place as he raised an armored boot of his own to plant it in her stomach.

As Oracle spun, though, she tossed one of her guns in the air, reached into her belt and tossed a cartridge up as well, leaping over his boot and catching him on the side of his head, landing on the ground prone.

Delta quickly stomped down at her, missing as she rolled to the side, kipping up and flicking her lone revolver, its cartridge falling to the side, just in time for the one she had thrown to slide in smoothly. Oracle whipped at him with the barrel of the pistol, steel striking against his white armor as he threw another elbow, this one catching her square in the nose, getting her to stumble backwards from the disconcertingly ever-growing power of the DRAB team leader.

He brought up his gun again- only for Oracle's revolver to finally fall from the sky, clattering against the ground uselessly.

Delta stared at it for a moment. "… _Haha, whoops_?"

By the time he'd brought his gaze back up, she'd already cleared the distance, smashing her gun against his head again, striking out with a flurry of blows- punches, revolver swats, boots to the knees, elbows- using a well-placed kick to send the fallen gun back up into the air as she caught it, adding it to her arsenal as she intermixed gun bashes with bullets, gun shots echoing across the battleground as she pushed the DRAB leader back.

Finally, though, he caught her boot again and spun, tossing her through the air with amazing ease, the huntress going flying away from him with wide green eyes.

He stared down at his hands. "I… am… ALL UNITS, BE ADVISED! THE ULTIMATE SOLDIER'S EVEN MORE ULTIMATER!"

He laughed and took off at a sprint towards Oracle, moving like a white blur as he cleared the center podium in mere moments.

* * *

Rainier frowned at the battle and the Atlesian now whirring about the battlefield with ridiculous speed.

"You okay, Rainier?" Ruby asked with a concerned look. "I think they've got-"

"How in the hell is he that fast?"

"Uh… wha?"

"Nothing, just… feeling challenged. He's faster than both of us, for some… strange reason."

"WHAT. NO HE'S NOT- KICK HIS BUTT ORACLE!"

* * *

Lance rolled across the ground and finally slid to a stop, greatsword cleaving into the ground and one knee planted down. Rather than looking hurt- or even mad- he simply stared in giddy awe at the battle happening between Oracle and the way too cocky Atlesian. "That gun is awesome!"

The swordsman turned his gaze to Ulysses and Shinai now marching towards Fox and Romeo, his blue eyes shooting between both encounters before rolling them. "Ul! Switch!"

The hulking teen didn't respond, and he groaned. "Fine! Shinai! Switch?"

The samurai disappeared in a cloud of smoke, giving Lance the okay to dash forwards.

* * *

Fox and Romeo stared in confusion at the cloud of purple smoke next to Ulysses, the former turning on their heel to guard their flank- the samurai didn't reappear however.

Rather, a red-clad form rushed from the cloud, Lance grinning giddily as he barreled towards them, Romeo letting out a yelp. "AH FOX!"

The masked huntsman blinked and turned back towards them, just in time to duck a wide sword swing from the Vale huntsman. He was replaced quickly by Ulysses as the duo went on the offensive hard, Lance letting loose with wide, wild swings, the hulking huntsman swinging his flail with just as much abandon, growling animalistically.

Lance vaulted on top of his partner, leaping into the air and twirling Iron Maw around in circles, gaining momentum as he came down, catching Romeo in the side and sending him tumbling away.

Fox sent a swing towards the blonde, now lowered guard, huntsman, only for Ulysses to muscle forward, blocking the blow with his body and grabbing their arm, sending a straight jab with his Avenger hand, morningstar gripped tightly- only for his attack to bounce away-

Now extending from their shield, Fox was blocked entirely with an enormous pane of green energy, the barrier several meters wide and taller than Ulysses, crackling.

The rampaging huntsman narrowed his eyes, and swung again, fist slamming into the shield, the light wavering ever so slightly as Fox shied back from the assault, letting out a growl of their own.

Lance, for his part, had already dashed off after Romeo, the huntsman now at the edge of the volcano biome, narrowly avoiding rolling off and to the floor below, eyes wide. He turned back to the charging swordsman with now wider eyes, as the blonde neared.

The Vale huntsman spun his sword expertly and swung it wide, aiming for the Atlesian's neck.

With one slick movement, Romeo ducked out of the way, put his shoulder into Lance's midsection, raised him up-

Then fired his rocket at the ground, the explosion sending them flying up and backwards-

But Romeo's body collided with the blonde's, ceasing his momentum- and sending the swordsman even further away.

Right past the edge of the battlefield, falling to the floor below and landing with a clatter, Vale's section breaking out in boos while Atlas' clapped politely at the play.

"Lance Zaffre has been eliminated by ringout!" Port called out. "Keep your head up, my boy!"

Lance immediately shot to his feet, but went limp at the announcement, dropping his sword to the ground and leaning against the edge of the battleground, burying his hands in his hair as he shook his head, misery flooding his face.

* * *

Oracle shot to her feet from her position rolling away- only for Delta to immediately be there, a white blur as he buried a foot into her stomach, getting her to double over, before he brought his gun upwards, slamming it under her chin and sending her tumbling into the air. She spun as much as she could, angling herself just so that she could fire a shot off-

Just for him to swivel his body, the shot shooting past him as she stared dumbfounded.

"HELL YEAH! Always wanted to do that, thanks, lady! I respect my female adversaries!" He followed the statement of gratitude with a barrage of bullets of his own, Oracle pirouetting in the air from the impacts, falling to the ground.

She quickly looked up to the scoreboard high above the floor- the six aura bars, Sierra's in the red, and her own a dark orange, getting dangerously close to being eliminated.

Delta strode forwards quickly, aiming down at her, gun pointed at her head, finger wrapping around the trigger- just before she spat at him, thick glob of spit landing on his armor. He looked down at it. "Aw, c'mon. It's just friendly competition! No need to be rude! General Ironwood always says that a huntsman is-"

He didn't get the chance to finish the quote as Shinai fell from the sky, katana falling and slashing at the Atlesian's forearm and moving its aim away from the gunslinger.

The samurai swept low with his foot, sweeping Delta's out from under him. The armored huntsman simply angled his body as he fell, landing on his shoulder blades and kipped right back up, landing on his feet- just in range of Oracle's own boots, soles catching him in the face before she scrambled to her feet.

"Took ya long enough."

Shinai said nothing, glaring down at the stumbling Atlesian.

" _Lance Zaffre has been eliminated_ -"

Oracle's eyes widened in horror, eyes finding their way over to the other melee. "LANCE!" She screamed out.

" _-By ringout! Keep your head up, my boy_!"

Her look faded. "…Oh," She sent a look around sheepishly, avoiding her partner's gaze. "You clumsy _idiot_."

Delta stared at them haphazardly for a moment, before turning on his heel. "SAFETY IN NUMBERS!"

He began sprinting forwards- only to vault high in the air, clearing half the battlefield in a single bound. He landed on the tile platform uneasily, waving his arms as he struggled to keep his balance and not move.

"Uh… oh…"

Slowly, he began to very carefully step forwards, meticulously making sure to step lightly.

The two members of SOUL watched him for a moment.

"Uh… captain?"

"Hm?"

"What is he doing?"

"I suspect his semblance is a rising level of speed and strength. Eventually that must become too much to handle."

"I… this is such a weird friggin' fight. I'll go help Ulysses, you… do whatever you need to." She shook her head and took off at a run, reloading her revolvers.

As she passed by Delta, the Atlesian looked up from his feet at her. "No, wait! Do _not_ continue- that is an order! Wait up! FOX AND CHICKEN! BOGEY, SIX O'CLOCK!"

* * *

Ulysses looked over to Romeo and what had been Lance, the swordsman's blonde hair sticking up into view as he stared miserably at the fight. The distraction was enough to give Fox a moment of reprieve, lashing out with their enormous shield, hard-light smashing into the berserking huntsman's face, it screwing up in pained anger.

They let the shield fall and dashed forwards, ducking under his swing and swiping at his knee with their sword, the huge teen going down to a knee as they rounded towards his back, leaping up and placing their feet on his shoulder blades, striking downwards with the now much smaller shield, catching him at the base of his neck.

He simply rose to his feet, however, reaching upwards and wrapping a massive hand around their neck, whipping them back down and slamming them into the volcanic soil beneath them, red dust flying upwards.

A ways away, Romeo was staring at the downed Lance with wide eyes, before throwing up his hands. "I GOT 'IM!"

"You jackass."

He turned over his shoulder to the familiar twang- and the glaring face of Oracle, glowing golden with a single revolver raised. Without hesitation, she fired, the golden bullet flying forwards with a booming explosion, bursting against his back and sending him tumbling through the air, falling to the ground himself, back smoking from the impact.

The booing of Vale and the polite clapping of Atlas switched, the Atlesians going quiet as the other side burst out into raucous cheering.

"And our first double whammy of the tournament!" Port yelled out with a touch too much excitement.

"Indeed! Romeo Whiskey has been eliminated by both aura level _and_ ringout!" Oobleck finished.

Oracle stared, still glaring, at the groaning form of Romeo as the golden aura faded from her, bags beginning to form under her eyes, her shoulder smoking from the massive amount of energy that had been flying through it.

She turned her gaze to the wide eyes of Lance, a slight smile crossing her face. He let out a laugh and began beating the edge of the battlefield rhythmically. The Vale crowd took up the beat, clapping along as the gunslinger turned her gaze to the crowd, eyes wide.

"GO GET 'IM, TIGER!" Lance yelled, waving at her to go resume the fight.

She nodded and took off at a run.

* * *

Shinai's face was emotionless as he reached Delta, not deigning to look over to the other leader as they walked at the same pace.

The Atlesian's head snapped up to the samurai. "GAH! Where in the sam hill did you come from?!"

"…You want to admit defeat or make this harder."

"Don't you get cocky, Kyani! Soon as I reach my boys, this is gonna be an even battle again!"

" _Indeed! Romeo Whiskey has been eliminated by both aura level_ and _ringout!_ "

"OKAY, THIS IS GONNA BE AN UPHILL BATTLE!"

Shinai shook his head and swept out with a foot, taking Delta's footing out from under him. As the Atlesian hit the floor, he immediately began rolling away- except at ridiculous speeds, a white pinball flying across the center podium and towards the dividing line between the two biomes.

The samurai continued to shake his head, sighing as he teleported over to where the DRAB team leader had managed to come to a stop, just a few short feet away from the edge of the arena.

Delta glared up at the samurai. "Fine! Finish me! But I ask you- bury my reputation deep in the annals of history, like my ancestors before me, who knew it was better to be remembered as a loser than not be remembered at all!"

Shinai didn't react, simply blinking.

The Atlesian pushed himself up with an elbow. "Wha… it's Opossum Man?"

The samurai shrugged, shaking his head impassively.

"Oh, come on! Get a life, ya weirdo."

Shinai closed his eyes and shook his head, bringing his katana up and then bringing it back down with a heavy swing at the other huntsman's neck.

"Ooh, brutal!" Port called out. "Delta Oscar has been eliminated, leaving just Fox Alpha left!"

* * *

Ulysses stared down with his black pools of eyes at the fallen Fox, Oracle pulling back the hammer of her revolver, before backing down at the look Ebony had shot her warningly.

"…Not for long!" Port finished as the hulking huntsman let his Avenger fall to the ground, before swinging it out behind him, the chain shooting quickly out of his sleeve as he swung it _high_ into the air- then brought it back down with all of the force he could muster.

* * *

DRGN rose to their feet, alongside RWBY and JNPR, applauding SOUL as the four huntsmen stood for a few moments, taking in their victory and the crowd's adulation.

Daria looked over to Rainier from the corner of her eye; lo and behold, the faunus' face was carefully blank as he stared at his friends, pale yellow eyes unmoving.

Nash, on the other hand was hopping up and down in excitement. "YEA! GO SOUL! GO SOUL! YEAAA!" Lance grinned and pointed up at the boy, saying something quietly to his teammates.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked. "Those guys weren't _actually_ from Atlas, right?"

The Schnee heiress blushed. "The exception does not break the rule!"

"That is not how the saying goes." Rainier called over.

"Shut it, Platina. Most Atlesians are the symbol of fighting prowess in the huntsman world. Four goons do _not_ break that mold."

The faunus shrugged. "If you insist, Miss Schnee."

"You are incorrigible."

"Incorri-gi-wha-huh?" Nash asked, shaking his head quickly as he sat back down.

Rainier reached around his team leader and patted the boy's head. "I will tell you when you're older."

Nash smiled bashfully, placing a hand onto his head.

Daria, however, had not taken her eyes off of her teammate, even as SOUL exited the stage to the inner corridors of the Colosseum. "Hey, uh, Rain?"

"Mmhm?"

"You wanna go get some snacks?"

The faunus turned suspicious yellow eyes to his leader. "…Of course. Any preferences?"

"Whatever you want. Anyone else want anything? Gail, Nash? _Weiss_?"

When she turned back to Rainier, the Vacuoan's eyes had narrowed to slits, tanned face screwed up in what looked like a mixture of 'how dare you' and confusion. Nevertheless, he rose to his feet, offered a bow to his friends, and snuck away from the stands.

Daria watched him go, vaguely aware of Weiss' eyes locked onto her back, narrowed in suspicion.

* * *

Lance chuckled as he walked into the backstage preparation area, sitting down on a long bench and wiping sweat off of his forehead with a courtesy towel. "Well… what do we think?"

Oracle shrugged, sitting down next to him and leaning back. "I'm tired. And hungry. Hon?"

"Naw."

"Fair."

"You did good," Shinai toned in, not sitting, hand resting peacefully on Shi En's handle. "There are things to work on. Next round will be harder. But… I'm proud. And honored."

Lance turned over to Oracle and gave her a smug, beaming smile. Slowly, though, his smile fell, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "I'm… sorry, guys,"

"Why?" The lone huntress asked. "Because of-"

"Because I got eliminated. Off of a stupid mistake as well."

"Whatever, darlin'. No harm, no foul."

"But what if that got out of control real quick? I… don't want to let you guys down."

She leaned over and nudged him with her shoulder. "Cheer up, hon. Ya didn't cost us nothin'."

"Your accent's coming out."

"Yea."

"WELL GODDAMN!"

All eyes turned to the entrance- and to the smiling face of Delta Oscar, white hair soaked with water. Standing behind him, in differing levels of pumped as well, was the rest of Team DRAB, all looking mightily refreshed.

The eyes of SOUL turned towards their former opponents, Shinai's wary.

"Sitrep- we come in peace. Bored, tired, and a little bit hungry, but pretty good otherwise."

The samurai relaxed, leaning against the wall opposite of Ulysses, hands resting on the handle of his blade. "You fought well."

"Aw, screw that. You guys were out there like 'pewah-pewah,' and then, like, 're-dun-down,' and then the big guy was like 'repate-te-pate-te-pah-pah,' 'fore she was like 'whe-booom'."

Romeo shook his head. "He means that you guys were awesome."

"DO NOT UNDERMINE MY AUTHORITY, PRIVATE!"

"AH GOD, stop yelling!"

Sierra stepped forward with a big toothy grin towards Ulysses. "Duuude, you were, like, next level tank- I mean, you hit me, and my skin just…" She outstretched her arms, waving them like waves.

The aforementioned tank grunted and gave her a nod of acknowledgement. Lance, on the other hand, swooped towards her, then around her, staring at the minigun strapped to her back at the moment. "…Can I?" He asked quietly, blue eyes pleading.

Sierra shrugged and reached back, letting the hulking gun fall from her back into his arms- the blonde let out a grunt as he almost collapsed under the weight of it, arms wrapping around it as he lifted himself back to a standing base. "Oh my… what's her name?"

The hulking Atlesian stared at him for a moment. "…A Really Big Gun."

"No, but what's her name?"

"That _is_ its name," Romeo cut in, crossing his arms. "She's… not very creative."

"But thicker than bricks." Sierra finished, crossing her arms in return, a lopsided grin planted on her face, watching as Lance greedily explored the length of the gun, brushing off the conversation, his eyes finding their way to the enormous javelin sitting in between the many barrels.

"And hello there," He muttered, looking the bronze spear-tip over- as Sierra reached over and pushed a button. The javelin flew from its resting spot, shooting across the room to bury itself into the wall several inches, a cable attaching it back to the gun. "AH, WHAT THE HELL!"

The hulking girl blinked owlishly. "I dunno, I thought you wanted to see what it did."

" _Why_." He whispered back.

"Sierra! Be advised- there will be no murdering of the top-tier bros we've just recently made cool with!"

"Like, _sorry_ , dad!"

Ulysses, shaking his head, reached over and pulled the spear out of the wall with relative ease, letting it slink its way back into its resting spot- he did not miss the way Sierra shuddered blissfully, letting out a content purr. He frowned and slowly turned away from the conversation.

"I- oh, apologies."

All eyes turned towards the entrance- and the face of Rainier leaning around the corner, pale yellow eyes wide in surprise.

Delta turned back to Shinai. "You know him?"

The samurai nodded back shortly.

"I… well, just wanted to wish you all congratulations on passing to the second round. It was a… scintillating fight. And, uh… I suppose… good job to you four as well. I'll… be on my way."

With a surprising amount of irritation claiming his face at the last moment, the faunus turned on his heel and stalked off elsewhere, arms full of snacks.

"That… was… awkward." Delta muttered, frowning at the retreating back of Rainier.

"Weirdly awkward." Lance muttered back, matching the expression of the DRAB leader remarkably well.

Delta looked back up to him, excitement rejuvenated. "And, you, my friend! You were just absolutely- mmph! And your pre-fight banter!"

"NO, YOU! When you went into your little power-boost, I was actually worried! Zooming around the battlefield- it was a sight!"

"All units, be advised, I am sufficiently flattered!"

"You are?! Dude, you are my favorite!"

"You and me, we're like this-" He attempted to cross his fingers, fumbling slightly on account of the armor covering his fingers. "You- you get the point."

Lance let out a joyous laugh, throwing his head back.

"All units, be advised- I will cherish this memory and put it in my hope chest."

Romeo inched forwards, alongside Sierra- Fox a short ways behind them and keeping to their self. "Hey, Delta, since in you're in such a good mood… how 'bout that pizza party?"

That made the DRAB leader's face fall, shadow overtaking it as his head bowed. "Pizza party… _denied_."

Romeo turned on his heel and buried his face into Sierra's shoulder, sobbing over-exaggeratedly as she patted his back.

Shinai shook his head and turned his gaze back to his own team. Lance caught the look as he sat back down. "So? Whattaya think? Not a bad start to the tournament, huh?"

Oracle spun in her spot, kicking her feet up and resting them on his lap, hat still pulled down over her face. "Yea, hon. Not a bad start at all."

"Match of the round right there?"

"Hell yeah!" Delta yelled back.

* * *

The spectators watched as Yang ran along an ice wall, Blake's pistol/knife/whip weapon flailing out towards her, the blonde huntress catching it before hopping forwards, planting her boots onto Ruby's shoulders and vaulting high into the air with a scream of rage, fist cocked towards the three remaining members of Team BRNZ, the trio staring owlishly at the screaming yellow blur flying towards them, Blake whipping her teammate with all of her might-

Yang flew through them like an explosive bowling ball smashing through pins, a trio of 'dings' filling the arena as their auras drained quickly on the jumbotron, passing into red, a buzzer echoing out over the spectators.

The Vale section rose to their feet and burst out into applause as Team RWBY stared in mild shock around them.

"And that's the match!" Port called out. "Team RWBY is victorious!"

Rainier stuck is fingers into his mouth and whistled in appreciation, missing the look Daria gave him, accompanied by the slow tilt of her head as she followed his eyes down to the floor. She shook her head, but continued to applaud.

Lance was frowning. "Ours was better, right?"

"Did you guys take out three at once?" Nora asked cheerfully.

"Well… no, but-"

"Buh-ah-ah, no excuses! Cool points go to RWBY!"

"Rainier, you're a fighting guy, what do you think?"

"In terms of entertainment? Yours was superior. However, in terms of product… RWBY did go without losing a single member."

"I… that's… fair."

Oracle patted his shoulder, leaning into his ear to be heard over the noise. "If it means anythin', I think ours was _much_ better."

He patted her hand. "Yeah… but you're biased, and- YEAH, YANG! QUICK, SOMEBODY COME UP WITH A CHANT! Duh, duh, uh… uh… damn it all, I've got nothing!"

Oracle shook her head, turning her attention back to applauding for the combatants.

Rainier nodded to himself, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small notepad, scribbling down the match's results, nodding approvingly. "Just two of us left."

Daria elbowed him. "Hey, watch the four of us take up half the finalist spots."

"Ah, but a man can dream, Dearest Daria. A man can dream."

He turned his attention back to his notepad;

After Team JNPR's match-

Team DRGN versus Team BLCK.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Wow, it's been a hot minute, huh? Yeah, a lot's happened since last time. My computer almost died (and probably doesn't have much left in it, tbh). Then I lost my word subscription and had to replace that after a week or so (because my entire life's work is on this computer in word, so, y'know.) But I am back. For the time being. We'll see.**

 **No reason for this, just letting everyone know what's been going on!**

 **Also, yes, most every chapter in Volume 3's gonna be this long. Fun, fun.**

 **Cheers,**

 **Infernokota**


	18. Chapter 2: Why We Fight

**Chapter 2: Why We Fight**

* * *

Lance groaned as he limped forwards alongside his teammates, hand pressing the cold pack against his back, weaving around the other students wandering the fairgrounds outside Beacon Academy. "That's it. My job is done."

Oracle snorted. "Don't be a wuss."

"Says you, I was the only one on the team eliminated."

"Weren't you _just_ moping about that?"

"Yeah. And now I'm over it and it's my excuse to be lazy."

"You didn't stretch, huh?"

Team SOUL turned on their heel to the staring eyes of Nash, a broad smile painted on his face.

"Short Stuff!" Lance called, mirror smile claiming his own visage.

"Yeah, Rainier always says that it's good to stretch before a fight, 'specially before a good one."

Oracle tipped her hat back. "Where's the rest of your team anyhow?"

The blonde boy disappeared in a blur around one of the stalls, before returning quickly, dragging Daria along by her hand. "I found them!"

"Nash, what-" The brunette huntress blinked at the sight of her friends. "Oh. Hey guys."

"'Ello."

"Hey girl."

"Hmph."

"Hn."

She followed the responses in turn before nodding awkwardly. "…Gail, we're over here."

After a moment, the aforementioned archer followed suit, standing next to her teammates and offering a tiny wave in greeting. "G… good fight."

"Thank you?" Lance asked, frowning slightly.

Oracle fiddled with the sunglasses cladding her face. "Where's the wolf?"

"Yeah, where's the- the what now?" Nash began, turned towards Daria, before casting a confused look back the gunslinger's way.

"Because he's a- where is he?"

"I dunno."

Daria shook her head. "Where do you think?"

Oracle stared at her. "… I really don't know."

"Oh. Yeah. I haven't told you yet."

 _That_ piqued the taller girl's interest. "Oh? Oh, please do."

"…Maybe later."

"Wait!" Nash called out. "I got it!" He sucked in a deep breath then- " _RAINIER!_ " He cried out, making some of the passersby jump in shock.

There was a beat of silence before a silver blur came over one of the stalls, landing on the ground with an uproar of grass and dirt as silver claws cleaved through the soil. Rainier twirled around with wary yellow eyes. "WHAT, What- what, Nash?"

"Got him."

The faunus blinked and straightened up, finally taking in the seriousness- or lack thereof- of the situation. "Oh. It appears that I've been played."

"Where you been, buddy?" Lance asked, genuinely curious.

"Yeah?" Oracle echoed eyes filled with a less than altruistic glint.

"I… was…"

"Looking for RWBY and JNPR." Daria finished.

He turned now suspicious yellow eyes to her. "Yes. _That_."

Oracle looked between the two teammates, eyes narrowing as she struggled to decipher the meaning. The DRGN team leader caught her look and mouthed 'later'.

Shinai cocked his head to the side wordlessly. All eyes followed his motion- to a small ramen shack stationed nearby. Sitting and eating happily was the aforementioned teams.

"Oh." Rainier said quietly.

The samurai said nothing, an eyebrow raising impassively.

"They've been there the entire time."

"Hm."

"Well… shall we?"

Daria shook her head and pushed past him playfully, throwing an arm around Nash's shoulders. The boy shimmied happily at the show of affection as the two teams followed her lead- all except Shinai, who had froze in place with wide eyes.

"Emerald?" He asked, getting his friends to turn to him.

The samurai's eyes were locked on the passing form of a dark-skinned, mint-haired girl and her silver haired companion.

Emerald turned to him on a dime with equally wide eyes. "I'm sorry, who-" She began with an edge to her voice before stopping in place as well. "Oh my god, _Smoke_?"

Mercury turned from her to the samurai. "I'm sorry, _who?"_

"Yea," Oracle began, crossing her arms. " _Who?_ "

Shinai turned over his shoulders to his friends with a small smile. "Emerald Sustrai. We were… friends back in Patch."

"Friends, yeah," Emerald added. After a moment, she stepped forwards and threw her arms around Shinai, who returned the hug warmly. "Long time no see, Smoke-"

"Shinai. It's Shinai now."

"Ahkay? Shinai. Yeah, I like it. I thought you were at the Patch Temple?"

The samurai shrugged. "I was. Came to Beacon for my four years."

"That's super cool. I caught your fight earlier! I… didn't know that it was _you,_ though."

"Of course. Are you and…" he turned his attention to Mercury. "Your team taking part?"

"Yeah. Our fight's gonna be tomorrow. You should come watch."

"Of course."

"So…"

"I'll let you go then."

Emerald smiled. "Nice talking to you, Sm- Shinai."

Shinai returned the look. "You as well, Emerald. Good luck in the tournament."

"You too!"

Without another word, the two Mistrali huntsmen turned and marched off with carefully even steps. But Emerald had barely turned around before Shinai's smile dropped, eyes going steely and blank. The others caught his look, frowning.

They watched the duo walk away for a few moments before Lance frowned. "Hey, captain. You good?"

Shinai didn't move. "Watch them."

"Dude, that answers nothing-"

"She is the last person I would expect to become a huntress. Just… trust me on this."

"…Aight."

Oracle nodded in return. "Emerald Sustrai. Got it."

Ulysses grunted.

"You guys are sooo weird." Nash added, teetering back and forth on his feet.

Rainier nodded, before gesturing back towards the now finishing their meals RWBY and JNPR. "Shall we?"

* * *

"If I barf, I'm blaming you."

"Ooh! Aim it at _the enemy!_ "

"Nora! That's disgusting. But… if you feel the urge…"

"…Got it."

Jaune groggily turned over his shoulder as he gave Ren a thumbs up, catching a glimpse at his approaching forms of Team DRGN and SOUL, and waved weakly.

The other two teams turned as well. Pyrrha gave a more exuberant wave. "Hello, friends!"

Oracle frowned. "Is he… alright."

"So… much… ramen…" The blonde leader groaned out.

Rainier sat down at the counter. "Come now, it can't be that mu-" There was a sudden grinding sound as a bowl came sliding towards him, larger than his head and filled to the brim with noodles. "…Oh. Well… it's… not _that_ bad."

Weiss shook her head as she lay against the counter. "Don't underestimate him…"

He watched her for a few moments before shaking his head. "It seems to affect you very little."

"Look. At. Me."

"I meant in terms of- forget it," He tossed some lien onto the counter and raised the bowl in thanks to the cook, rising to leave before said cook grunted disapprovingly, pointing at the bowl. Rainier stared at him for a few moments before tossing another few lien down, blinking questioningly.

The cook stared at him for a few moments before grunting in acquiescence, taking the lien and placing it in the register.

Oracle tipped her hat back. "No, no, I'm curious. In terms of what?"

"In terms of having a fight coming up shortly, of course- assuming that you are fighting in the duo rounds, correct."

"Of course." Weiss said, matter of factly.

"Splendid. Then my point stands."

Oracle nodded. "Ah-hm."

"Indeed."

Yang turned to the faunus and his team. "When do you guys fight?"

Rainier fished a piece of paper from his pocket. "…Ah, tomorrow. JNPR is the last fight of today."

Daria nodded. "It feels unfair, buuut…"

"There is no fairness in battle."

The duo high-fived.

Pyrrha turned down to her Scroll, humming to herself. "Well, we at least should be off. I'm sorry to leave as soon as you arrive, but our fight is coming up shortly and we still need to warm-up, don't we, team?"

Jaune groaned in response, and Ren nodded, rising to his feet.

Nora, for her part, giggled excitedly. "Of course! We've got a world-renowned fighter on our team, one's basically ninja, I can bench five of me, Jaune- we trained all year, our weapons are awesome, Glynda barely yells at us anymore, and uh... Jaune!"

Ren turned to his team leader. "Are you gonna take that?

"She's not wrong." Jaune shot back with a sigh.

The ginger huntress waved at him. "I'm kidding, he knows I'm kidding. Don't be so nervous! The worst that can happen is we lose, that is just a few more years of walking around school with everyone knowing we're failures, our friends will slowly abandon us to preserve their social status, we won't be able to show our faces in class, no one will sit with us in the cafeteria, Ren and I have no parents, we have no home left to go to, we'll be officially renamed Team Lose-iper!" She broke down into sobs and face planted onto the counter.

Ren nodded. "So, yeah, we're feeling pretty good."

"Don't fret. If anything, we should be looking forward to a fight with actual guidelines, and not, well... murderers!" Pyrrha shot back.

Rainier and Blake nodded in unison. Yang shrugged. "See? We've faced worse."

"Grimm," The latter faunus started.

"Extremists," The former added.

"A sociopath,"

" _Two_ sociopaths,"

"And that's while we're all still in training!" Ruby cried out, shooting to her feet giddily. "Imagine what it'll be like when we're all graduated!"

Weiss glowered at the shopkeeper. "Maybe then I'll be able to pay for food…"

"Oh cheer up, Miss Schnee," Rainier said. "There are worse things in life than being poor."

"First off, didn't you just buy the entire bowl from that guy? Secondly, _how_ do you have enough money to just pay people off for stuff?"

The faunus shrugged as he munched happily away on his noodles.

"Sometimes, I don't understand you, Platina."

"Mmph, the feeling is mutual, Miss Schnee."

" _Would Team JNPR please report to the Colosseum immediately?"_ Professor Port's voice echoed through the fairgrounds.

" _Yes. Like they were scheduled to… SEVERAL MINUTES AGO_!" Doctor Oobleck added.

Pyrrha sighed. "Well, this is it, friends."

The other three teams let out a chorus of well-wishes and words of encouragement as JNPR marched off back to the fight.

The three teams watched their friends go for a few moments.

"They're totally going to win." Oracle stated simply.

"No, yeah-"

"Absolutely-"

"Was there any doubt-"

"Come on-"

"Pyrrha's a cheat code-"

" _Aaaaaaaah_ -"

All eyes turned to Nash. "Sorry. Everyone was talking. I didn' have anything to add so I just wanted to be a part of the group."

Rainier sighed, ruffling his teammate's head. "Fair enough, my diminutive friend. Fair enough. Shall we?"

* * *

Lance shook his head. "Look at them."

Yang turned to him. "It's not that-"

"No, they look capable enough, but I mean… a sniper? An electrical baton? This is a mismatch. Nora could do this by herself."

The other blonde nodded. "That's fair. But give them a shot. I mean… don't. We're rooting against them, but it might not be _that_ bad of a beatdown."

"Oh, no," Rainier added. "It will. The differences in their veneer. Look at how they look at Pyrrha. Her very presence perturbs them. My father always said that winners focus on winning. Losers focus on the winners. Very applicable here, no?"

Shinai shook his head. "He's right."

The faunus nodded- pointedly, though. Slowly. But a nod nonetheless.

Weiss shook her head. "You are all nerds."

"Battle nerds, yes. I'm certain you're nearly as bad as we are." Rainier said, leaning forwards to look at her.

Daria cleared her throat. "Guys, it's starting."

"…BEGIN!" Port barked over the intercom.

The two teams- JNPR and BRNZ- stared off for a brief moment. JNPR's Vacuoan opponents' faces pulled up in deadly serious grimaces. The leader, a tall, muscular, and tanned man dressed in a purple tank top, with mechanical claws over his hands took the first steps forwards, away from the forest that stood behind them. The other three were dressed similarly- the aforementioned sniper a shorter girl in a long sleeve white and red jacket, her beanie pulled down over her left eye; the other two similarly sized teens to the leader, one dressed in a blue jean vest and black jacket holding a shock baton, and the other in a sleeveless green vest with two golden saw blades laying on his forearms.

Then, the two teams dashed forwards, meeting in the middle of the center platform- with the exception of the sniper girl, who quickly scrambled backwards to take refuge in the treetops.

Rainier shook his head. "Three brawlers and a sniper?"

"So it would seem." Shinai muttered back, purple eyes taking in the battlefield appraisingly.

Lance shot to his feet as Pyrrha parried a blow from the Team BRNZ leader. "YEAH, PYRRHA! GET HIM!"

The melee broke up quickly, however, as BRNZ's sniper began taking potshots from her vantage point. Jaune caught on just as quickly, ordering a hasty retreat as JNPR took shelter behind some of the massive boulders that made up their mountainous region.

The blonde leader of JNPR quickly barked some orders though, and the quartet came flying back out to the battle, zipping about quickly as they dodged and weaved around the sniper fire. Ren and the huntsman with the baton engaged quickly, throwing shots at each other for a moment, before a stray gunshot forced the ninja to leap into the air to avoid it- right into a swing from his opponent. Another few swipes was capped off with a jab from the baton, electricity streaking through Ren's body as he fell to the ground convulsing.

"REN!" Nora yelled out, charging over to the combatants, taking a swing with her hulking warhammer. The Vacuoan dodged it and then jabbed the baton into the ginger fighter's ribs.

She, however, simply burst out into giggles as the lightning seemed to amplify, her blue eyes lighting up with giddy malice.

Nash frowned. "Wha-"

"Oh-ho! Looks like one of my favorite students, Nora Valkyrie, is charging up to use her Semblance!" Port called out, a warm satisfaction filling his voice.

The Vacuoan huntsman's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yes, Ms. Valkyrie's Semblance lets her produce, as well as channel, electrical energy straight to her muscles! This allows her to jump explosively into the air, wield her mighty hammer, or in this case, absorb Nolan's attacks and send the young man flying!" Oobleck finished, before taking an audible sip of coffee.

"WHAT?!"

Nora grinned as pink lightning raced over her form- and she took a swing with her hammer, smashing it into the Vacuoan's face and sending him hurtling across the battlefield, stopping only as he slammed into the trunk of a tree, falling to the ground with a groan, but still not eliminated.

Rainier tsked and shook his head. "Easy."

Yang sighed, leaning back and kicking her feet up onto the seat in front of her- to the irritation of its inhabitant. "God, you'd think that it wouldn't be that easy, huh? But it is."

Blake shook her head. "Can't you guys be serious? For a half second?"

"Oh, but we are serious, Miss Belladonna." Rainier said.

"Deadly." Yang added.

"Plus, it makes it so much more- NORA! NORA! NORA, LOOK!"

Though Lance didn't catch the girl's attention, Jaune did, pointing towards the top of the mountain and the dark clouds that were beginning to swirl around it.

Weiss shook her head. "Of course there's a storm in her fight."

Daria copied the Atlesian's motion. "This just isn't fair."

"Oh well. Another win for Vale."

Lance grinned smugly. "Schnee does it too."

"Oh hush."

Ren took off running as Jaune said a quick few words to him, JNPR's resident ninja dodging around the sniper fire as Jaune and Pyrrha engaged with the other two brawlers left standing, dancing around each other with practiced ease, Nora climbing the mountain quickly behind them.

Ruby shot to her feet like Lance had done before. "Yeah! Go get 'em, Jaune!"

Weiss leaned backwards. "He's certainly improved."

"But he ain't got nothin' on Pyrrha!" Oracle and Yang yelled out in unison as the huntress moved ahead of Jaune, the blonde retreating to call out a gameplan, proceeding to go hand to hand with BRNZ's last brawlers, dodging and spinning around them with ridiculous precision.

Ren expertly slid over to the still recovering form of the baton-guy, hefting him up and holding him between the Vale huntsman and the Vacuoan sniper. The shots quickly ceased at the sight of the body shield. Instead, the girl turned her attention to the rapidly climbing Nora. Pyrrha, however, vaulted into the air off of Jaune's shield, blocking the zooming bullet as the ginger huntress reached the top of the mountain.

Nora giggled and raised her hammer high into the air- and lo and behold, a lightning bolt struck down to hit it, energy coursing through her body as she began to simply _tremble_.

Rainier nodded. "Game."

"Set." Lance added.

And Yang: "Match."

Weiss shook her head. "You three are unbelievable."

Nash frowned. "I… don't get it."

Gail leaned towards him. "Nora uses lightning to get stronger."

"Oh. Oh! OH! OH, THAT'S SO COOL! NORAAAA! THAT'S SOOOO COOOOL!"

Ulysses simply shook his head, keeping his dutiful silence.

The aforementioned girl leapt from the mountain firing a volley of grenades from her now grenade launcher (the explosives, of course, coalescing into the loose shape of a heart) as she came soaring down. The shots ripped through the center platform, sending the rest of Team BRNZ tumbling towards their teammate, who had dropped from her vantage point, frowning.

Jaune grinned and called his teammates over, beaming with excitement. And…

The quartet stopped. And just…

Stood. Talking. Arguing, it looked like.

The other three Vale teams all cocked their heads in varying degrees of confusion, as the entire arena went quiet in befuddlement, a low murmur filling the air.

"No, silly, not a flower! _Flour_ , like in baking!" Nora called out, elbowing Ren pointedly.

He frowned. "Why would I bring that?"

"Bring- what- _no_ , it's your _symbol_!" Jaune called out desperatedly, his teammates looking at him, lost.

"So what are we?" Pyrrha asked.

"Pyrrha!"

"I'm sorry! I just want to make sure that it's clearly defined."

Jaune pinched his nose in frustration as BRNZ stared on, confused. "Pyrrha, honey, you and I are Arkos. It's that thing when we take our shields? Remember?"

"…'Arkos'?"

"Yeah! It's our names together!"

The redheaded huntress stared at him for a few moments before nodding slowly. "Right, no, I get it…"

"Do you not like it?"

"What? No, no, it's… good?"

"Mm, I sense hesitation." Nora hummed out.

The leader of Team BRNZ scowled. "HEY!"

Laughter echoed around the arena as the collective of JNPR turned to him in surprise.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Jaune scowled. "We are _trying_ to have a team meeting, thank you very little!"

"Yeah!" Nora called back. "Team ears only!"

The leader threw his hands up in fury. "WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIGHT-"

"AND WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONVERSATION! WHAT DON'T YOU GET ABOUT THAT?!" Jaune yelled back.

"Um, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, tugging on his armor slightly pointedly.

He sighed. "Yes, Pyrrha?"

"I think that he means we are _all_ in the middle of a fight."

The crowd burst out into laughter again as he looked around the arena with wide eyes, apparently just remembering where he was. He placed his sword against his forehead and sighed. "Nora, just… hit them with the hammer."

Nora grinned. "Got it."

"WHAT-" The BRNZ leader began.

He cut himself off as the ginger huntress appeared in front of them in a heartbeat, grinning in satisfaction as she swung hard, catching all four Vacuoan huntsmen with her hammer. They went soaring across the arena, far passed the edge of the ring, and hit the outside area, tumbling.

"And with that, it appears Team JNPR wins by knockout, literally!" Port called out.

Rainier now shook his head. "I am…"

"So confused." Ruby finished in a whisper.

Nash blinked, then rose to his feet, clapping hesitantly. "… _Yeah_!" He called out lamely, looking around at the bemused Vale students around him.

Lance rolled his eyes and joined him in standing up. "Ahem… _SWEET JNPR, BA-BA-BA, GOOD TIMES NEVER SEEMED SO GOOD! SO GOOD! SO GOOD! I'VE BEEEN INCLINED, BA-BA-BA, TO BELIEVE THEY NEVER WOULD, OH NO, OH NO, NO- SWEEEET JNPR, BA-BA-BA-"_

Then- some of the other Vale students, grinning at the blonde huntsmen's exuberance, began to join in.

Then some more.

Then some more, before most of the entire Vale section had joined in in the chant. Lance grinned with satisfaction, casting an eye around at his fellow students, a twinkle in his eyes.

Rainier leaned over to Daria. "What have they done?"

"Why?"

"Do they know what they've created?"

Her eyes widened. "…Oh god."

He nodded and leaned back, staring at her with sympathetic eyes.

The taller blonde huntsman sat back down with a satisfied, Cheshire grin planted onto his face. Oracle shook her head. "You're unbelievable."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You've got no shame."

"No, ma'am."

Daria mirrored her gunslinger friend in shaking her head, fishing out her Scroll and checking the time. "We've got the rest of the day off. Anything anyone wants to get done? That… _isn't_ training, fighting, or partying?"

Rainier, Lance, and Yang all stared blankly at her in turn.

Ruby, as well, stared off into the distance. "Uh… I dunno… we could-" She trailed off as ever so slowly, a hand raised above the heads of the triumvirate of teams.

Blushing profusely, face bright red, Gail raised a purple clad hand weakly. "…We could… just… hang out tonight? I mean… like…"

Nash gasped. "Like a sleepover?!"

"Well... no, but..." Gail shook her head, dropping it.

Oracle chuckled, tipping her hat back. "Yang?"

"Yeah, screw it, that sounds like fun. 'Specially since Ms. Rules over there won't let us do anything else."

The aforementioned Ms. Rules shrugged. "You guys do whatever you want. But _we_ are gonna rest up for tomorrow."

"I mean… it actually kinda sounds like fun." Ruby offered.

"Very well then," Rainier sighed. "Shall we meet with the victors below? The night is young after all."

* * *

"Okay, your turn, Rain."

The faunus blinked himself out of his reverie. "I'm sorry, pardon?"

The four teams lounged around Team RWBY's dorm room, the students spread out haphazardly around the ill-placed furniture that seemed to run rampant in the four huntress' home.

The window outside was pitch black with the dead of night, noticeable even with the curtains drawn, and the only source of light in the room was one of the bedside lamps bathing the space in a warm, if not terribly well lit, glow.

Yang gave him a coy grin. "The Vacuoan faunus-"

"- _Prince_." Daria said between coughs.

Severak sets if eyes went wide, turning to him in various expressions of shock. The blonde brawler trained disbelieving lilac eyes onto the wolf. "You're a _prince_?!"

Weiss mirrored the image, with more… spite, though more spite from a place of humor rather than of malice. "Yeah, _seriously?_ Is that how you just casually... buy stuff from people?"

"First off, I'm _not_ a prince," He muttered, giving his leader a sour look. "Secondly, no- well, yes. But no."

Oracle shook her head. "Hon, you answered nothing."

Rainier watched his friends for a moment. "Very well, _Daria_. I come from an influential family in Vacuo. I have some… extra spending money if you will, but much of that is saved up by my own volition."

"In Vacuo, one's worth is determined by what and how much they can offer to their community, correct?" Pyrrha asked with curious eyes, tilting her head to the side.

"Correct, Ms. Nikos!"

Jaune leaned back. "So what does a guy like you do for a hobby? Child prodigy gladiator?"

"Well… yes. From time to time, though I suspect there are a few of us here who can relate to that as well-" And for a split moment, the faunus' eyes shot over to Shinai, before turning back to Jaune; missing entirely the flicker of the samurai's own eyes as he caught the look. "But, I played guitar quite often for my home town. Being a boy of well-renown, they tended to be liberal when deigning to give me tips."

Oracle's eyes lit up. "You _play_?"

"Quite well, if I do say so myself. But, enough about me-" The gunslinger pouted at the change in conversation. "… Lance. Any stories for us? I do recall a mention of… mercenary work?"

The blonde swordsman sighed, shaking his head. "Oh no, we're not going into that-"

He was interrupted by a chorus of dissent and even an attempted 'Do It' chant from Nash. Throughout the uproar, though, Weiss' eyes remained locked on the laughing face of Rainier; inquisitive and curious. His own pale yellow orbs flicked over to hers for a brief instant, and she immediately looked away, edging back into the conversation.

As if Daria _hadn't_ caught the entire interaction, frowning in… _something_.

"No," Lance was saying. "I can't say that I had a lot of fun. I was cold, miserable, and lonely, surrounded by jaded dudes twice my age who shared a mutual hate boner for the world. I got out of there pretty quick and- lo and behold- here."

"So _that's_ why you're such an awful person." Yang mused.

"Most of it. The rest of it's my cripplingly low self-esteem and mommy and daddy issues."

"Oh."

Oracle blinked. "Wow."

He nodded in pure seriousness for a half second before snickering. "Naw. Just kidding. Yeah. You get pretty garbage habits from spending time around guys like my old crew. Alright. Enough about me- ice queen?"

Weiss bristled. "Do _not_ call me that!"

"Oh come on. Everyone does. Just accept it."

She shook her head. "Because of that, you goon. I'm not going to share."

Nora let out a mournful wail. "But _Weeeeeiss_ , you're so _preeetty_ and you're like a _princeeeeess_."

"Oh hush!"

Ren shrugged. "You do share very little about your past."

"Especially stuff that's _not_ positive." Jaune added.

"You _are_ very… hush-hush on your past. More than perhaps most here." Pyrrha offered softly.

Ruby frowned, though. "You don't have to share if you don't want to, Weiss."

"Yes- well… it's not something I like to talk about."

Yang nodded. "If y-"

"Why do you wear your hair like that?" Nash asked suddenly, hand shooting up into the air.

Weiss froze. "…Well…"

"Just curious. It's pretty."

"I… like the asymmetry."

Shinai frowned, leaning forwards from his position in the back of the room. "...Somewhat out of character."

"Well… it's not important."

"Signs of rebellion, no matter how small, can be some of the most empowering signs." Rainier muttered, just loud enough to be heard.

She stared at him with pale eyes. "…That's... very poignant of you."

He shrugged, leaning back against his own pillow wall.

"Alrighty mister psychoanalyst," Yang cut in, looking to Shinai. "Why don't you come out here and give us something about _you_ then."

He sighed. "There's not much to know-"

"How do you know Emerald?" Daria asked with a frown. "And what's with 'Smoke'?"

The samurai… faltered, looking uncharacteristically unsure of himself for a moment. His eyes flit from member to member of his team, before finally landing on the dark orbs of Ulysses- who raised a curious eyebrow of his own. He sighed again.

"Long ago, in another life, I was… my parents left me when I was young. I… I don't know why. It doesn't matter. I lived on my own most of my life, and when-"

"You were a thief!" Ruby gasped out.

"…Yes. I was."

"I remember you- kinda, sorta!"

Yang's eyes widened. "You were the guy who kept breaking into buildings- 'Smoke' of course! That makes _way_ too much sense."

"You... were a thief?" Pyrrha asked quietly, frowning.

He sighed, turning to her. "Yes. And I stole water. And food. I stole clothes, and blankets. And... yes. There were times that I did pull off larger heists, to get into places that others couldn't. And I was paid for it. I used that money to buy food, and water, and housing when I was so low that I just wanted to sleep under a roof; if I was feeling particularly frivolous, and wanted someone to be truly paid for something, I'd use the money to repay someone for the work they deserved to be paid for. So yes. I was a thief. But not because I wanted to be."

The red-headed huntress was silent for a moment. "...I'm sorry."

Shinai pursed his lips silently for a moment. "No. You're alright. I understand. To answer your question; I met Emerald in Patch; she was a thief as well. We worked together from time to time, but she preferred to work alone."

Rainier leaned forwards with utmost interest, gold orbs shining in the dim light like embers. "And how did you find your way to your Temple?"

"…Eventually, one of my... heists went sour. There was a well-dressed man with a beautiful dagger. I wanted to sell it to the local blacksmith, hope he could get better use of it than the samurai before me. The man I was trying to… pickpocket caught me in the act. Rather than report me to the authorities, he offered to give me a hand. I accepted. He adopted me into the Temple and trained me. That man was my master until his last breath."

"Shi En." Oracle nodded, looking over to the ornate black sheathe of Shinai's katana.

"Shi En. He gave me a name, a home. I owe everything to him… including all of you."

The room erupted into a chorus of adoring, and teasing, coos.

He shook his head, though his usually stony façade betrayed a look of bemusement. "That's all to share. Ebony. Would you like to share?"

"No."

"Cerulean?"

"N-no. No thank you."

The samurai turned purple eyes to Daria, in a silent question.

She sighed. "Maybe… okay, well… it's not that interesting of a story. I was born in Mistral. My parents are Teal and Rami Copper. I've wanted to be a huntress since I was born. I guess… you guys are my first real friends. Not much to tell."

"Not much that you want to tell." Pyrrha whispered with a startling tone of sadness.

Daria turned brown eyes to her countrywoman, swallowing hard. She nodded once shortly. "Anyways- we already know a little bit about Blake-"

"Blake-" Rainier cut in, face bright with realization. "Is your father _Ghira_ Belladonna?"

She blinked confused, tired eyes at him. "…Yeah?"

He chuckled. "That makes so much sense! Your father and mine were friends, once upon a time! I've heard quite a few tales of the Panther!"

"Oh? Really?" The other faunus asked, turning towards him in surprise.

"In the original incarnation of the White Fang, when your father led, he knew mine in some way or another. He always talked highly about him."

Blake gave him a small, sad smile. "That... that sounds right."

Daria stared at him for another long moment out of the corner of her eye, _daring_ him to interrupt her again. "Yang, Rubes, you guys got anything?"

"I mean..." Ruby said quietly.

"We could probably right you an essay about the weird stuff that's happened to us." Yang continued.

"Uh huh."

"But, I mean..."

"We'll keep that to ourselves."

Oracle grinned wolfishly. "How 'bout when Ruby almost burned-"

"Nope!" Ruby cut in

"Or how 'bout when Yang took-"

"Oracle, we are not doing this." The blonde

The gunslinger gave the rest of the group a wink. "Anyone wants a story, I've got dozens of them."

"Man you're the worst."

"Lovely," Lance said. "You two are almost as normal as me."

"Yuh huh… Pyrrha?"

The red headed warrior blinked. "Oh. Me? Well-"

"Her name is Pyrrha Nikos, she was born in the Mistrali port town of Argus. She trained most of her career in the Shelter academy and boasts an incredible professional record of 34 and 0. Ooh, now 3 _5_ and 0." Nash spat out quickly, blue eyes lighting up.

She blinked. "Y…es?"

"Sorry. Not stalkerish. 'Mma big fan a fightin'."

Lance hummed. "So you're a fight nerd."

"…Ye."

He chuckled and ruffled the younger blonde's hair. "Don't sweat it, Shortstuff. Shoulda heard Rainier, Yang and I today-" He froze, blue eyes lighting up as his mind whirred to life with a sudden, enlightening realization. He slowly turned to his shorter counterpart. "Hey, Nash?"

"Yesm?"

"How old are you?"

"How old am- ooooh. Oh, I'm thirteen."

"THIR- what even?!"

"Yea."

The teams burst out into disbelieving laughter.

Jaune let out a groan. "Man, and I thought Ruby was a child prodigy."

"How did you even get in, hon?" Oracle asked.

"Oh, they had a… tryout? Like a tryout, I guess. Anywa', I showed up with Phalanx. They didn' even know what grade I was in. Don't ask- don't tell."

Rainier chuckled. "And I suppose you wiped the floor with your peers?"

Nash shifted bashfully at the attention shown his way. "…Ye."

"Never change, my little friend."

Daria turned towards Nora. "Nora? Ren? You guys got any good stories? I know you've known each other for a while."

The ginger huntress waved her off. "Oh, pssh, it's not like he's been my only friend and the only person I've known and cared for- haha, what? That's totally weird to say, not like he's the closest thing I have to family and I'd probably _die_ if I lost him, haha, pssh."

Ren didn't even flinch. "So… yes."

"Ah… huh. Any… clarification?"

"Um… no."

"Alrighty then."

Pyrrha nudged Jaune's side. "Anything you'd like to share?"

The blonde jolted at her touch. "Oh, wha? Me? No, no. Nothing you like you guys. I mean… between the samurai, and the prince and princess, and the mercenary, and Ren and Nora, and the dang child prodigies and- and you, Pyrrha. Naw. I'm just… Jaune."

She sighed. "And I- we wouldn't have you any other way."

A blush crept across his cheeks. "Heheh… thanks, Pyrrha."

Lance lay back onto his sleeping bag. "My god, you can cut the sexual tension in this room with a bloody knife."

"And with that," Daria called out, shaking her head as she rose to her feet. "DRGN are bowing out."

"Oh come on," The blonde called at her. "It was funny!"

"Uh huh, sure thing. Gang?" There was a beat of hesitation before the rest of Daria's team rose as well, the quartet stretching as they prepared to depart.

Shinai nodded to his team as he pushed himself to his feet, holding his sword close to him. "I'd suggest we take our leave also. We may very well have to fight tomorrow."

Pyrrha gave Jaune a long, _long_ expectant look, before the blonde caught it, jolting. "Ah, yeah! We should go! Yes! Leaving!"

A chorus of farewells echoed around the room as the three guest teams prepared to depart, gathering their things. They began to file out of the dorm, murmuring amongst themselves as they went, a discordant cacophony of yawns, groans and stretching following them out.

Rainier smiled at his friends as they passed, holding the door for them, until the last of the invading students had exited. He moved to step through the doorway after them- before faltering, turning slightly over his shoulder.

Weiss was standing amongst the mess of blankets and pillows, even as her teammates began to clean and settle in around her. Her eyes were locked onto his own, her expression surprised as he suddenly looked towards her.

"...Goodnight, Miss Schnee." He said quietly, a smile crossing his face.

"Goodnight, Rainier." Was her hushed response back, the barest traces of her own small grin pulling at her lips.

He closed the door softly behind him.

* * *

 **A/N: Long time no see, mes amis. Almost three months, dang.**

 **Well, I'm not going to act like me getting back to writing is not an auspicious event, and I'm not going to act like it totally isn't reliant on the Volume 6 premiere igniting my trusty, old muse. Cause that would be lying.**

 **Still, though. I can't complain. I do hit pretty frequent low points where I don't do much writing at all and, like clockwork, I've come to miss these rascals so here I am.**

 **Real quick, this one kinda sorta feels incomplete considering it's more filler than anything else; this and the next chapter were originally one and the same, but this one's fluffy, gushiness kinda took on a life of its own and got out of hand real quick so...**

 **More in-depth fighting next time.**

 **Hopefully this fight doesn't take me two months.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Cheers,  
Infernokota**


	19. Chapter 3: Paint It Black

**Chapter 3: Paint It Black**

* * *

Rainier scuffed his boot into the tile flooring, hands placed behind his head.

"Rainier."

He sighed, looking up towards the sky, chewing on nothing.

" _Rainier_."

Slowly, ever so slowly, he brought his gaze back down to Daria.

She was frowning. "What are you doing? Focus up!"

The faunus gave her an unimpressed look before just as lethargically turning his gaze back forwards.

The uproar of the arena came back to him as the Mistral and Vale crowds shouted for their teams. DRGN, of course, stood collectively on one end; Rainier and Daria in the front (the first unfathomably loose, and the latter standing jaw-clenched). Behind them were Nash in full Phalanx regalia and Gail, bow and arrow already knocked.

Across the tile platform was Team BLCK.

They, owing up well to their name, were dressed almost exclusively in black and white. The leader stood in the front, stubble covering his jaw, dark brown hair reaching down past his jawline. He was dressed in a mechanically armored sleeveless tanktop that meshed down into similarly armored pants, his boots and gloves much the same material. Held in his hand, levied over his shoulder, was a thin, standard sword, inlaid with shifting gears, but not entirely too threatening. His face was just as cocksure as the moment he had stepped out onto the platform; but now his eyes were locked onto Rainier, sky blue orbs watching the faunus' every move. On his back was a large slab of metal, non-descript with the exception of silver engravings across its surface.

The man next to him was taller, but not as bulky, skin dark and his own stubble a little bit thicker, his hair loose black curls falling from his head. His face was currently painted with a red design over the eyes, as he sneered at his opponents. He was shirtless, a black tattered vest hanging over his body, and baggy, black, grey, and white camo pants tucking into black boots. His hands, wrapped in black tape, were currently carrying dual qatar; two blades pointing out from his knuckles, held by a bar at the base of them.

The other two were standing close together, a little ways off from their partners. The closest was the shortest of the group, and the most lithe, with tightly coiled muscle lining his form. He was clean shaven, with dark hair combed to the side over an under cut. He was dressed in a leather jacket over a long sleeve armored shirt, much like his leader. His pants consisted of black skinny jeans, frayed at the edges, tucked into black boots, neater than his tan-skinned compatriot. Held in his hand was a decently sized longsword, four cylinders glowing with the main Dust elements sitting around his guard. His eyes were locked unblinkingly onto his opponents, cast in quiet, brooding shadow.

The other one was the tallest of his teammates and the most well-built. He was shirtless as well, though fairer in skin, with wild, curly blonde hair falling down to his jaw; black aviators clad his face, and a toothpick hung from his lips. He was dressed in a knee length leather black coat and black gloves; his pants were baggy and black, tucked into mechanical boots like his leader. His left hand was clutching the handle of a sword- though the blade itself was segmented, and wrapped up the length of his arm.

Daria elbowed her best friend. "Get your head in the game, man. Come on."

Rainier raised an unimpressed eyebrow and took a few relaxed steps towards Team BLCK.

"For these silly tryhards? Hardly. Worth. The. Effort."

He sighed and turned back towards his team, the white of his jacket and the red of his logo painting a vivid target for the Mistrali huntsmen.

The tan-skinned fighter scowled. "Hey! Hey, wolf! You look at me when I'm talkin' to you!"

Rainier slowly, ever so slowly turned over his shoulder. "Apologies, friend. It's just… you're boring. This is boring."

* * *

Yang frowned. "What in the ass?"

Ruby groaned alongside her. "He's gonna get killed."

Oracle tipped her hat back. "You're not wrong. What is he even doing?"

But Lance's eyes were narrowed, blue pupils locked onto the faces of Team BLCK. He turned Shinai, and the duo shared a meaningful look, eyebrows raised in silent question.

Ulysses grunted a silent agreement. "Would work on me."

Yang turned to the SOUL trio. "What are you…" Then her eyes widened. "Oh my god, he's a genius."

Jaune leaned forwards towards his friend. "Okay, wait, no I'm lost."

Pyrrha shook her head. "I hope that he knows what he's doing. For his sake."

"Okay, what?!"

Yang grinned. "You sly dog. You sly, stupid dog."

Ruby and Jaune shared befuddled looks.

"I think I know what you're getting at," Ren added, pink eyes appraising. "He's going to make them so furious that they just completely abandon their game plan."

* * *

The two frontrunners of BLCK narrowed their eyes in fury, before the leader whistled sharply, gathering the other three towards him in an impromptu huddle, their heads leaning together even as his eyes stayed locked onto the faunus.

Daria caught their looks, glancing back and forth between them and Rainier in concern. "Rain, what are you-"

His face shifted from arrogant nonchalance to deadly seriousness like a switch. "Just… trust me. Watch. Stay back. Let them come to me," A coy smirk found its way to his face and he winked. "Have I let you down yet?"

The diminutive leader of DRGN grumbled. "You don't want me to answer that."

"Team DRGN of Beacon versus Team BLCK of Haven!"

On the enormous screens, the icons spun before finally slowing… to a symbol of snow, and the image of a cypress tree. The outside ring of the arena whirred to life as behind DRGN rose a wintry landscape, snow falling from seemingly nowhere and a handful of pine trees swaying in a wind. Behind BLCK was followed up by a thick swamp, water filling the vast majority of it and a handful of trees rising above the marsh.

Daria sighed and turned to her other two teammates. "Rainier's called an audible. Let them come to us."

Gail frowned. "Bu-"

"Fine." Nash growled through his visor, massive mechanical hands clenching into fists as the jets on his back lit up with low flames, ready to dash forwards at any moment."

* * *

Lance sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing, buddy."

Weiss, however, scowled. "That idiot is going to get himself killed!"

"Have some faith, princess."

Blake placed a hand onto the Atlesian's shoulder. "There aren't many people who have fighting ingrained in them like he does. 'Unconventional' is kinda his thing."

"Fine. I hope you're right." Weiss grumbled, leaning forwards despite herself.

Lance grinned. "If nothing else, I've got a pretty good chant for him lined up."

Nora shimmied excitedly. "Ooh, ooh, ooh! What is it? I _have_ to be ready for it!"

"You might not know it. I actually had to look it up this morning. Something a little homegrown for him."

"3!" Port called out over the intercom.

* * *

"2!"

Team BLCK spread out, faces pulled into various looks of frustration and fury.

"1!"

The other three members of Team DRGN tensed in anticipation. Rainier simply continued to stand, back to his opponents, and several yards ahead of his team.

"Begin!"

Like one, the Mistrali huntsmen dashed forwards in near blurs of black- all aimed towards the faunus. The smallest one's longsword wreathed itself in fire. The tallest let his chain-sword fall from wrapping around his arm, its joints sparking with electricity. The tan-skinned man was a step ahead of his teammates, just that much faster in the rush. The leader himself was actually taking up the back, still scowling, but blue eyes intelligently watching Rainier.

As the quartet reached him… he disappeared, with a flurry of dust kicking up around them and a blur of silver whirring around the entire main platform, before he reappeared suddenly behind the BLCK leader, silver claws flying through the air to land solidly on the side of his head, landing with a solid 'crack'. The man went tumbling off to the side, rolling against the tile before coming to a stop a few feet from the edge of the platform.

The Qatar wielding huntsman skid to a stop, looking around him in shock, before turning on his heel, along with the other members of BLCK, their eyes following the rolling body of their leader, before turning to the faunus. "...The _fuck_ , Adrian?"

"Oh-" Rainier began, putting a surprised hand to his chest. "I apologize- did you not catch that?"

The Mistrali grit his teeth together, unconsciously taking a small step away from his opponent. "Where- _who the hell are you_?!"

The faunus bowed lowly. "Rainier Platina of Vac-"

The longsword wielding Mistrali took a swing at him without missing a beat- instead, missing as the Vacuoan disappeared in another blur, rejoining his teammates in exceptional haste, dust following his wake.

Daria's eyes widened as her mind raced to process the events that had just occurred, gaze shooting back and forth between her friend and her opponents. "I- what- how-"

* * *

Shinai had shot to his feet, face pulled up in _something_ distasteful.

"What in the ass?!" Lance called out, throwing his hands up. "Rubes, did you-"

"He's… so… fast…" Ruby whispered, silver eyes wide in appreciation.

Weiss hummed thoughtfully, the mix of concern and irritation draining from her face. "So… _that's_ what he was doing… ah."

The blonde swordsman looked to her. "Okay, what?"

"I'll… tell you later."

" _You two_. So weird."

* * *

The BLCK second-in-command dashed at Rainier with a surprising show of speed of his own, the sudden burst of movement getting the faunus to finally tense for the fight proper. At the same time, though, a yell heralded the tallest member dashing forwards as well, chain-sword lifted to swing out at Rainier.

He stopped in his tracks: gripping him by the throat was the massive hand of Phalanx.

"Tsk tsk," Nash growled. "Phalanx calling." And without another word, he hurled the opponent far off, straight into the watery marsh on the other side.

A flurry of arrows, coming in pairs of metal and hardlight, fired out, getting the other two members of BLCK scrambling away, the second-in-command stalling his attack to spin away, hitting the ground with nearly his whole body to scramble away.

The smallest member scowled and turned to Gail, brandishing his longsword in the air as he took off running. His eyes widened and he turned over his shoulder as Daria came crashing down towards him, ring blades spinning vertically to carve into his side. The attack did nothing though; a thick layer of inky blackness rose up from where his feet touched the tiles, blocking against the strikes. He glowered at the DRGN team leader, who glowered right back.

She raised one hand- and a brilliant flash of light burst from it, blinding the man and getting him to drop his guard, giving her an opening to leap into the air, kicking him squarely in the face and sending him flying away. She jogged up to her faunus friend, shaking her head.

"You're crazy, Rain."

"Crazy, perhaps, but-" He waved towards the regrouping collective of Team BLCK, who were now biding their time, reconsidering their plan of attack. "We've now proved that we're superior to them. Simply a ma-"

"You! Shut your damn mouth!" Adrian barked, storming a few feet forwards before his team managed to pull him back into the huddle with matching scowls.

Rainier turned back to Daria with a grin and wink.

* * *

Lance grinned as the Vale crowd burst out into applause at the display from Rainier. "I don't know how he did it, buuut…"

Oracle sighed. "Fine. Do your thing, hon."

The blonde swordsman grinned. Rose to his feet.

" _Ole, ole-ole-ole, ole, ole! Ole, ole-ole-ole, ole, ole! Ole, ole-ole-ole, ole, ole!"_

He continued the chant in solitary for a moment- before Nora picked it up. Then Ruby and Yang. Then the students behind them. Then the students beneath them.

Before it spread throughout the Vale section like a rallying call.

Lance nodded to himself victoriously. "GET SOME, DRGN!"

* * *

" _Ole, ole-ole-ole, ole, ole_!" The crowd chanted, brimming with goodwill and energy.

"GET SOME, DRGN!"

Rainier whirled about, placing a hand to his heart. "I'm touched!" He laughed. "I could get used to this!"

This only served to antagonize Team BLCK. Adrian spat out an order and viciously gestured to either side of the arena, and the team split up into duos, marching symmetrically to flank the Vale huntsmen's sides.

The faunus watched them with a malice-filled, victorious smirk. "Very well, Daria. I believe I'm done. Gameplan?"

The short leader of DRGN watched her opponents warily. "Stay in pairs. Gail, Rain, stick together. Try and keep some spacing- Rain, rush them with that… _freaking ridiculous_ speed. Give her some room to shoot," They nodded and turned their gazes to the shortest and tallest Mistrali fighters. "Nash and I'll take the other two. Nash-"

The massive head of Phalanx turned to her, visor glowing almost _giddily_.

"Smash."

The boy grunted in agreement.

"… _Go_." She whispered, and the two pairs dashed to their chosen opponents, the Vale stalwarts still chanting up above.

Rainier reached his targets in a breathtaking heartbeat, standing between them and throwing his arms around their shoulders with a coy grin. "Gentlemen." He greeted.

The taller one scowled and threw a punch, fist wrapped in his chain sword. The faunus ducked it quickly, letting it soar over his head towards the other member of BLCK's own. The shorter Mistrali swiveled away from it, giving his teammate a silent, sour look.

"Caid!" The former BLCK huntsman began, only to fall backwards quickly, Rainier spinning low and sweeping his legs out from under him. Caid himself brought his longsword up to stab downwards towards his opponent, faltering as the Vacuoan shot to his feet and leapt upwards, jumping up over the BLCK fighter, hand gripping Caid's shoulder as he suspended himself in the air, grinning.

"'Ello there, friend!"

The quiet member of BLCK scowled as he moved to attack his opponent- before flying backwards as an enormous arrow crashed into his face, sending him tumbling backwards, stopping short of the edge of the arena as he jammed his sword into the tile.

Rainier turned to his partner with a grin, who returned it with a nod, holding her extended bow firmly in hand. Her eyes widened and she brought it back into its normal size, pulling a similarly smaller arrow from her quiver and nocked it. To the faunus' side, the taller BLCK member was scrambling to his feet, chain sword falling to his side. The Vacuoan threw a lightning fast punch, though not fast enough as his opponent blocked it with his forearm. His gaze shot to the side as Gail fired her shot-

And then the Mistrali let out an inhuman, ear piercing roar, the air itself vibrating from the sound. The arrow stopped in its movement and even flew backwards slightly, tumbling against the ground uselessly. The two Vale huntsmen grimaced as their hands flew to their ears instinctively, particularly Rainier, who fell to a knee in pain and effort. The BLCK fighter didn't let up, flicking his sword to wrap around the faunus' ankle, and turned on his heel, sending his opponent flying to the side, colliding with the still recovering Gail, the duo tumbling to the ground.

Caid stumbled up to his own partner, two black shapes melting out of his ears like shadows as they shared a nod, stalking towards their opponents.

On the other side, Adrian and his teammate had dashed forwards to meet Daria and Nash. The former Vale huntress leapt into the air, latching onto Phalanx's massive shoulder as the jets on his back lit up, shooting towards their opponents with impressive speed for the hulking mech, arms shooting out to swing at the BLCK partners. One fist caught Adrian, though his partner dashed away quickly, sliding across the ground.

The DRGN team leader leapt from her partner and struck out with both feet, stomping into the fallen Mistrali's midsection, who let out a gasp as the wind rushed from him. She fell into a roll, turning on her heel as Adrian clambered to his feet with a grimace.

"I usually try and go easy on a lady," He spat bitterly. "But I'll think I'll make an exception with you and the archer."

Daria scowled as she brought her Infinitas up. "Don't threaten my teammate." She muttered as she dashed to meet him, duel blades meeting his own thin one.

Nearby, Phalanx was swinging wildly at the tanned Mistrali, who seemed to be able to move just quickly enough to dash away from the heavy blows, drawing a growl of irritation from Nash. "Stay still so I can rip you in half."

His opponent responded by leaping into the air and dropkicking the mech squarely in the face, getting the youngest member of DRGN to lose focus and stumble as his interface wobbled with the blow.

The Mistrali shot to his feet and pointed at the mech with his qatar. "You ain't so tough, you little shit." He snarled, voice husky with exertion, a bead of sweat already beginning to drip down his forehead.

* * *

Ulysses snorted. "…Everyone has the same banter."

Lance was frowning alongside him. "…He look tired?"

Yang nodded. "He look tired."

"When he… ducks Nash. Does he get faster?" Ruby asked, cocking her head to the side.

Shinai nodded in agreement. "And it's wearing him out fast."

"Faster than he can take Phalanx down." Lance grinned.

* * *

As if on cue, Nash threw another punch, greeted by yet another dodge- one he anticipated, other hand reaching around to grip the sliding Mistrali's ankle. "Tonight I dine on Mistrali soup!" He barked, before sweeping the wide eyed huntsmen into the air, and bringing him down with a heavy smash and the breaking of tile.

Daria grimaced as the larger huntsman pushed her back, pushing his advantage as he swung his sword around flawlessly, technique not becoming of his general attitude. She ducked one remarkably wide slash- and played right into his plan, his knee coming up as she went down, crashing into her nose and sending her stumbling back. He followed up by planting a sideways boot into her chest, sending her soaring backwards. A grin claimed his face as he followed suit, Daria's white boots beginning to crunch into snow as she reached the edge of her side's biome.

Brown eyes widened as her opponent neared- but in realization, rather than fear-

And she leapt backwards, burying herself into the snow, white armor blending in flawlessly.

Adrian stopped in his tracks, own black boots sliding into the snow as he wheeled around. "What the-"

* * *

Yang shot to her feet, punching a fist into the air. "Atta girl, babe!"

Weiss gave her a side long look. "It's snow."

"And?"

"It's. Cold."

"She doesn't need to be in it for long."

Nora gave a rare frown. "Can you _imagine_? _Ahh_ ," She shivered sympathetically. "Now I want cocoa."

* * *

On the other side of the arena, Rainier and Gail pulled each other to their feet, staring down the slowly approaching forms of Caid and his partner. "You know, my friends," The faunus called out. "It doesn't work when Shinai does it, why would it work when you do?"

They shared a look, the taller one scowling. He muttered something to his partner, and Caid nodded, raising his free arm into the air.

Like liquid, his shadow, cast by the stadium lights, began to rise up his body, covering any non-black colors there had been, before finally settling at his hairline, so that the only things visible on his body were his eyes, staring out vividly from the black mass. He flicked his sword to the side- and air began whipping around the weapon as its Dust crystals turned white. The duo picked up pace and Rainier sighed.

"That's going to be annoying. Shall we?" He gestured forwards, and Gail rolled her eyes at his nonchalance, nocking another arrow. The faunus dashed to meet his opponents as her arrow flew beside him, the arrowhead sparkling with electricity.

Rainier ducked a swing from Caid's sword as he reached him, the air whistling around the blade still managing to batter at his hair. His Wolf's Claws struck out at the taller Mistrali, who caught it quickly in one hand- then went flying as the leg's cannon fired, shell catching him directly in the chest. Caid's eyes moved from his opponents for a split second, letting the arrow strike him in the shoulder- and bounce off easily.

Gail lowered her bow for a moment as she frowned. "…That's annoying." She muttered, before pressing a button, Dust crystals in her quiver rotating so her arrows glowed red. She nocked another arrow, staring down its length as she fired.

Rainier watched the arrow fall to the ground before shooting back to his feet, spinning and slamming his Claws into Caid's midsection. The teen doubled over slightly from the blow as a loud, solid thud echoed out across the arena. Again, Gail's arrow struck his shoulder, this time, however, bursting with fire that threatened to reach the faunus as well, Rainier smartly tumbling backwards as the short Mistrali's head was wreathed in flames. The faunus sent an admiring smile back the archer's way, though he wasn't given much time to congratulate her, as the taller BLCK huntsman's chain sword wrapped around his ankle- the metallic one, sparking with blue electricity.

The faunus let out a yell as the leg began to seize and shift as it overcharged, the sparks climbing up his body as he writhed on the ground. The Mistrali grinned viciously as he dragged his opponent towards him, lifting a boot high into the air to stomp down on Rainier's head, stopping only as a burning arrow crashed into his chest, exploding on impact and getting him to stumble back, the faunus still in tow.

Gail watched the duo as she nocked another arrow- losing sight of Caid.

The shorter Mistrali dashed towards her, wind-wreathed sword swiping across her stomach, getting her to double over and stumble backwards in pain. He didn't let up, slashing across her ruthlessly, battering the archer back as he carved her up.

* * *

Oracle leaned forwards nervously, watching the titan screen high above, Gail's health bar depleting dangerously quickly, turning yellow. "C'mon, hon, do something."

Pyrrha joined her in leaning forwards, gripping the seat in front of her tightly. "This is not good. She is not a hand-to-hand fighter."

"Don't lose hope, guys," Ruby pleaded, curling up despite herself as she watched her friend bashed about. "She's got this."

"I hope you're right." Ren muttered beside her.

* * *

Rainier grit his teeth as he forced his body to still as much as it could, sitting up shakily as he looked to the recovering BLCK member- and with as much gusto as he could; he grabbed the chain sword in a gloved hand. The blonde fighter blinked in shock and looked up at him.

The faunus growled, and pulled his opponent close to him, arcing his head back, then slammed it into the Mistrali's nose, greeted with a satisfying slam of bone on cartilage. The blonde fighter recoiled, and Rainier outstretched shaking hands to the links of steel wrapping around his ankle, and then froze as a familiar voice grunted in pain. He turned a writhing head over his shoulder, to the sight of Caid thrashing Gail, the archer recoiling, simply doing her best to keep a grip on her bow.

He growled again, and with as much effort as he could muster, threw his head back.

"FOR THE NAME OF GOD, GAIL, SUCK! IT! UP!"

* * *

Adrian turned over his shoulder at the sound of tile shattering. His blue eyes blinked in surprised shock at the sight of Phalanx standing over his partner's momentarily motionless body.

Daria took the opportunity to leap from the snow, silent as could be; she was totally ignorant of Adrian's eyes closing.

As if the attack was easily telegraphable, the leader of Team BLCK simply… stepped to the side, letting her tumble past him, rolling several times, before scrambling to her feet, brown eyes narrowing in suspicion.

He shook his head. "You're not gonna get anywhere fightin' like that, hon."

And, with a snarling smirk, he reached his sword over his back… and slid it into the slab of metal cladding him. Mechanical clicks and locks filled the silent snow covered arena, and the black strap holding the slab to him fell to the ground. With the confidence of a man who had already won the fight, he pulled his sword back to his side-

It was now taller than he was, its blade at least a foot wide, steam hissing from it as it finished settling in place. He winked at her smugly, and gestured with his free hand for her to come at him.

That was enough to force a scowl to her face- and get her to run to Nash's side.

The aforementioned boy had picked his own opponent back up, holding him above his head so that they were eye to eye. "You talk a lot of shit. But I- I prefer to get things done."

The Mistrali suddenly blinked back to life. "Try again, asshole."

With a flurry of steel, the tanned huntsman's qatar slashed in duel blurs at Phalanx's visor, the glass scratching, but not breaking, under the flurry. In shock, Nash dropped his opponent to the ground. The Mistrali didn't waste anytime, immediately dashing to the side as he hit the ground, plunging one blade upwards- right into the armpit of Phalanx, unprotected by the thick red armor. Inside the suit, the blonde boy recoiled at the qatar now intruding into his protection, letting out a yell of surprise, before scrambling back into place, cursing to himself as the attacked arm of Phalanx refuse to move.

The tanned huntsman grinned. "Yeah… yeah, not so tough, huh?!" He lashed out, carving the inside of Nash's knee, sparks flying into the air. "Whatcha gonna do when I carve your mech to shreds? Huh? You ain't-"

Daria's boot collided with the side of his face, sending him falling away. She turned to Nash. "Get it together, Aspis."

He growled and stomped his foot. "I've got it."

"Then prove it."

The boy growled again and turned his scratched visor to the furious face of his opponent.

"I'm not going far. Be ready."

Adrian scoffed as he dashed forwards, massive greatsword held over his shoulder. "You can't run far, miss!"

"Shove it!" She spat back at him, running to meet him, ringblades held at the ready.

Across the battlefield, Gail was currently panicking as Caid mercilessly slashed at her, feeling her strength wane away as the onslaught seemed never ending, the archer not finding an opportunity to strike back.

"SUCK! IT! UP!" Rainier roared at her, voice stuttering as electricity ran through his body.

Like a switch, her dark eyes widened- and she brought Sunsinger up. Caid's sword carved at least an inch into it. But it was enough to give her a moment to breathe.

She stepped forwards, throwing her shoulder into his gut, though it seemed to hurt her more than him. Still, she immediately sent a boot into the outside of his knee, the limb bending inwards, even if it didn't seem to have much effect on him personally. The archer ripped her bow free and swung it to the side of the head, though he parried it easily. She used the momentum of her weapon and leapt into the air, slamming both boots into his face, propelling herself backwards.

She landed onto the ground and rolled with the force of her hitting the tile, ripping an arrow from her quiver as she did so. Swiftly, she fired it, the arrow colliding with his face and exploding. The smoke cleared- and she was given the barest glimpse of flesh, unobscured from the black that had covered him.

He seemed to notice it too, hand reaching up to his cheek, and a new scowl finding his face. Caid held his sword aloft and prepared to resume his offensive, only for another arrow to find its mark, more smoke surrounding his head.

This time, he didn't even see the arrow flying towards him. He did feel the electricity coursing through his system, though, the Mistrali beginning to seize with wide eyes.

Gail immediately shot back to her feet, looking to Rainier- and meeting his approving yellow eyes.

The faunus grit his teeth as his opponent threw a punch of his own, catching the Vacuoan squarely in the jaw. Rainier followed up with a shivering forearm- then slammed his hand down onto the Mistrali's own. Once. Twice. Thrice. The BLCK member let go, the handle falling to the floor, and the electricity fading. Rainier sucked in a breath as his body finally stilled. Like a blur, he was on his feet, watching his opponent scramble to reclaim his weapon.

Rainier stepped onto the sword's handle.

The blonde Mistrali's eyes slowly raised upwards to meet the faunus' own pale yellow.

* * *

Lance shook his head. "Don't be that guy, Rainier."

Oracle frowned. "What? What's he gonna do?"

Pyrrha sighed. "He's Vacuoan."

"He'll win no matter how he has to." Shinai finished, even as Ruby gave him a look.

"Well…" Weiss began. "They kinda deserve it. It's not like it's not uncalled for."

Yang shrugged. "If you say so."

* * *

Rainier's eyes twinkled with joy. "I'm afraid that little trick has run its course, friend."

And with one swift kick, he sent the sword tumbling off to the side, clattering over the edge. The Mistrali watched it go in shock. Then, he opened his mouth wide, preparing for another roar.

The faunus simply struck out with his claws, catching him across the cheek, the BLCK team member almost spinning ninety degrees away from him. Rainier positioned Wolf's Claws under the fighter's jawline, slowly raising the dazed man into the air to meet his eyes. The Vacuoan grinned, then spun like a marionette backwards, catching him again in the side of the face, this time with the assistance of a cannon shot. The Mistrali flew to the side like a bullet of his own, smashing through one of the nearby trees of the swamp with a crescendo of shattering wood.

Rainier was to his side in an instant, ridiculous speed getting him to his opponent's side before he'd even had time to hit the ground. Another kick sent the blonde huntsman towards another tree, murky water flying into the air the only real indicator of where the wolf was. Another kick and cannon shot sent the Mistrali down into the mud and murk, refuse flying into the air from the impact.

The faunus kicked down at the edge of the other fighter's side, making him spin, and giving the mechanical-legged huntsman enough space to land another solid kick. The blonde swordsman went several yards into the air, and Rainier backflipped, cannon shot propelling him even higher. The Vacuoan hit the ground, then immediately vaulted back up with another shot, matching with his opponent as the duo soared high above the battlefield.

Rainier flashed the wide-eyed Mistrali a wolfish grin as they reached the climaxes of their ascents.

"Well said, good game!" He yelled out, before spinning in the air. His Wolf's Claws collided with the boy's midsection.

Another gunshot, and the Team BLCK member went careening towards the marsh floor like a blur of his own, the shattering of wood and a mud-filled splash reaching high into the air following him down.

"Kuro Tenshi has been eliminated!" Port called out.

"Quite brutally as well!" Oobleck added.

Rainier grinned as he free fell- and at the last second, fired a cannon shot, sending him soaring horizontally across the ground towards his partner.

Gail herself was firing arrow after arrow of fire at her opponent, approaching steadfastly all the while, using as much of the time she had left before her electricity wore off as she could.

Finally, she reached striking distance of him, and tossed Sunsinger into the air, catching it by the end, and swung it hard.

Caid's hand flew up, and caught it, as he snarled in trembling fury. She watched in shock as the exposed pieces of his armor began to seal back up with the black material- the action itself, however, seemed to wear him out.

He didn't let it show, though, spinning his blade in his hand and striking out with the pommel, crashing it into the bridge of her nose as her own exertion seemed dangerously close to claiming her- and elimination along with it.

A boot planted itself into her chest, sending the archer stumbling backwards. He closed the distance quickly, striking out with wide, frustrated slashes.

"I'm better than you!" He barked in a thick accent. "I'm the real fighter here! Know! Your! _Place_!"

" _Kuro Tenshi has been eliminated_!"

His eyes widened, and he turned in shock to where his partner and Rainier had been fighting.

Gail responded by simply head butting him in the middle of his forehead. They both recoiled in pain, her own hands flying to her head.

"Bad idea, bad idea…" She muttered.

Caid recovered first, scowling in fury and frustration as he lurched back towards her- and promptly disappeared.

In his place was Rainier, sliding across the ground as his claws sent sparks flying up into the air. He grinned at his partner. "Mind if I cut in, Miss Cerulean."

She blinked owlishly, a blush crossing her cheeks. "N-no, go- go ahead."

He nodded and turned his gaze to the tumbling form of Caid.

* * *

Nash growled as he stormed towards his opponent. "I'm going to make you into a Mistrali pretzel."

The tanned huntsman spat. "Try me, bitch."

Phalanx rolled its working shoulder and stepped forwards, massive hand outstretched, reaching for his opponent. Like clockwork, the Mistrali dodged it, sliding away smoothly, before leaping into the air, aiming to bring his qatar down into the shoulder joint of the mech's good arm. Nash brought the same arm up at the last moment, blades cutting in slightly into the thick red armor. Phalanx whipped its arm to the side, slamming both it and the other huntsman into the ground with a solid crunch. Nash held him there as he turned his attention to his other arm, working feverishly to get it back in decent working order.

A few yards away, the two team leaders met; Adrian swinging out with a wide slash, Daria skillfully falling to her knees and sliding beneath it. She rose back to her feet quickly, spinning as she did so, ringblades carving into the Mistrali's back, one blade over the other. He let out a grunt as he stumbled forwards. Like a top, he turned on his heel and swiped again.

Predictably, she ducked the blow, and, just as predictably, he lashed out with a boot to catch her unprepared. This time, however, she was ready, and grabbed the limb with her forearms, tugging it forwards and taking Adrian off his balance, the huntsman struggling to keep his footing.

Daria leapt into the air and struck out with two well placed kicks, spinning and catching him twice into the side of his face. He growled as he regained his footing, turning quickly to meet her.

"Alright," He muttered, holding his massive blade to his side. "You're quick, I'll give you that."

"I've fought people with oversized blades before," She shot back, strafing around him. "And he's way better at it than you are."

Adrian snarled. "I see your mutt friend wears off on you, Copper."

Her face morphed from fury at the first half of the sentence, to shock in the second. "How do-"

He took a single step forwards, and swung hard in the middle of her sentence, catching her off of her guard. The massive sword struck true, the bladed edge cutting into her midsection and sending the huntress flying off to the side with ease. Closer. And closer to the edge of the arena, Daria stabbing her ring blades into the tile floor- and then the snow- as she tried her hardest to stop her momentum. She did slow, but painfully incrementally, getting closer and closer to inevitable ringout.

Adrian watched her go before nodding in satisfaction, turning back to his partner struggling under the arm of Phalanx.

" _Kuro Tenshi has been eliminated._ "

The leader snarled. "Of course." Without another word, he took off back towards his partner.

Daria's legs went over the edge, and she let out a yell of frustration, slamming her ring blades into the arena floor again in fury… and stopped with a jerk, almost losing her grip on her weapons. She hung over the edge, legs dangling dangerously close to the floor below. She swallowed hard as she began crawling her way back up, gritting her teeth as her arms screamed in protest.

The Vale crowd burst out into applause at the clutch save, hollering and clapping as the diminutive huntress climbed her way back to the safety of the battlefield. With a scowl, she swung one of her Infinitas vertically- sending a line of energy soaring Adrian's way.

The BLCK leader didn't even need to turn to dodge it, stepping to the side. "AHA!" He laughed out smugly. "I figured you'd be harder to put down!"

He turned back towards his opponent, raising his sword tauntingly. "Guess I'll have to try again!" He grinned as he felt a form standing behind him. "C'mon then, Lanu. Finish this brat off and let's save this damn fight."

A massive hand wrapped around his head as Nash giggled victoriously, the whirring of electronics coming to life filling the air.

"You dumbshit!" Lanu barked out, still struggling to remove himself from Phalanx's grip, slashing at the red armor worthlessly.

Nash gripped Adrian's head hard. "Go apologize, rat." And with ease, he hurled the BLCK team leader back Daria's way, Adrian tumbling across the ground as Copper simply stood with an unimpressed look, cocking a hip to the side.

"God I hate my countrymen." She muttered as she took off his way, snow flying into the air where she ran.

Across the battlefield, Rainier and Gail stared at the recovering form of Caid.

"What do you think?" The faunus asked. "Over under?"

"I… I- yeah. I guess."

"Excellent." With a grin, he disappeared in a blur as she nocked an arrow.

He reached the shadowed Mistrali first, leaping into the air and catching him on top of his head, crunching satisfyingly under the silver claws of the faunus' leg. Cracks spread down the BLCK member's armor as his eyes unfocused. Rainier rolled off him, towards his back, pushing him forwards with both legs as he fell.

Caid stumbled straight into a volley of exploding arrows, smoke encapsulating him as he struggled to keep his feet. Rainier dashed forwards again, leaping up and spinning, foot colliding with the back of the Mistrali's head with a cannon shot- as another arrow found its mark onto his face. This arrow, however, was larger and heavier than Gail's usual, her bow anchored in the ground and in its greatbow form.

The explosion, in turn, was vastly larger than it had been. And was just enough."

Caid Heach has been eliminated!"

* * *

Adrian looked up at his approaching countrywoman with a put off scowl.

" _Caid Heach has been eliminated_!"

"Dammit, dammit, _dammit!"_ He barked as he shot to his feet, re-sheathing his greatsword in favor of the smaller blade. Daria was to his side in an instant, spinning around him expertly as her own dual blades carved across his back with the grace of a dancer. Her foot shot out and swept his leg out from under him, sending him to one knee.

She placed a foot onto his bent knee and vaulted up, bringing her boot down on the back of his head, his face slamming into the snow with a satisfying 'poof'.

Daria grinned despite herself, and placed her boots onto his back, leaping into the air- and then spun like a top, wave after wave of glowing green lasers carving into his back as she fell.

And, with no other option, she simply fell rear-end first onto the back of his head, sending him further into the snow, and completely motionless.

"Adrian Black has been eliminated!"

* * *

Lanu's eyes widened as Phalanx lifted him up and threw him onto the tile floor, his dual qatar tumbling away.

He scowled defiantly, opening his mouth to insult his opponent-

" _Adrian Black has been eliminated!"_

The tanned Mistrali's eyes widened as he turned to Daria and his leader's motionless body- then to the waiting forms of Rainier and Gail at the other end of the arena, standing patiently, watching the fight in interest. The faunus waved cheekily.

He turned back to the steadily approaching form of Phalanx, and his defiant scowl deepened. He dashed forwards- and slapped the visor of the mech defiantly. Nash stopped in his place, simply staring unreactingly at Lanu.

The Mistrali took a step back- and threw up both middle fingers bitterly. " _Fuck you!"_ He barked.

The Vale crowd booed at the lack of sportsmanship. Nash, however, let out a dark chuckle- and lashed out with rocket-enhanced speed, grabbing a firm hold of Lanu's head. He vaulted high into the air, jets propelling him far above the heads of his teammates. His jets quelled their ascent, and he lifted the Mistrali even higher as they began to fall.

"IMMA PLANT ME A DUMBASS TREE!"

As one, his jets rocketed back to life, and he careened back down to the arena floor with ridiculous speed of his own.

And Nash smashed.

"Lanu Uliuli has been eliminated!"

* * *

Rainier laughed as he stepped forwards good-naturedly, grass crunching beneath his feet as the quartet of teams trounced about the fairgrounds.

"Jeez, Nash," Yang muttered, ruffling the boy's hair. "You're a scary guy."

"Wha? No, no I'm not… right?"

"Well… I mean…" Ruby started, not sure where to go with the sentence.

"Rain, I'm not scary am I?" Nash asked desperately.

"Little man, you turned a man into the world's largest fly. I'd say you have your moments? But now?" He added quickly at the boy's dejected look. "You're quite far from scary."

The blonde boy shrugged. "I mean… he was being mean. No need to be a bully."

"After you bullied him the entire fight?" Jaune asked, narrowing his eyes at the hypocrisy.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not times a thousand!"

"Did too times infinity!"

"Did not times infinity plus two, no take backs!"

"That's not even how that-"

"Jaune," Pyrrha said gently. "You're arguing with Nash."

Nash grinned and sidled up next to her. She smiled good-naturedly and threw an arm around him, giving him a side hug.

"Oh, yeah," Jaune muttered. "Side with the adorable one. I see how it is."

She chuckled.

Blake sighed. "Sun's fight's starting here shortly. I'm going to head back before I miss it. Anyone coming?"

There was a moment of silence, before a wave of noncommitted assents greeted her.

Rainier, though, shrugged, holding his complimentary towel in both hands. "I believe I'm going to stay down here, if that's alright. You all go enjoy the fight in my stead, though."

Weiss raised her chin. "And why is that? You win one fight and you're too good for us?"

"Never too good for you, Miss Schnee-" Daria's face fell in a look of 'are you kidding me'. "But… there's someone here I need to see."

"Oh?" The Schnee heiress said. "And who is that?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah, who's more important than your friends? Huh? Huh? _Huh?_ "

Rainier looked across the fairgrounds. "The White Wolf of Vacuo."

All eyes followed his gaze to a man standing, watching them with casual curiosity. He was taller and older than the students, if by only a handful of years, skin the same olive tone of Rainier's, and hair the same silver- though his was significantly cleaner, top combed to the side over a buzzed undercut. His face lacked the warmth of Rainier's though, grizzled through battle and life, yellow eyes locked onto the quartet of teams.

Most striking, though, was the gleaming silver of his left arm, mechanical parts gleaming in the light. He nodded at the students, and turned over his shoulder to walk away.

Rainier shrugged.

"Oh." Daria blinked.

* * *

 **A/N: THE PAIN TRAIN DOES NOT STOP.**

 **THE CHAPTERS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES.**

 **CHOO CHOO.**

 **That's enough of that. I'd like to mention the _gratuitous_ profanity in this chapter, which... is not present prior this chapter. Nor will it probably make a return in later chapters.**

 **Until BLCK comes back, at least.**

 **But I did feel that it was a little thing that Team BLCK needed, to emphasize the vitriol and general hate-everything nature of BLCK. This fight needed to be grittier than the other fights. If the sudden appearance of that much profanity shocked anyone, I apologize, and I do promise that it won't be a running theme.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Cheers,  
Infernokota**


	20. Chapter 4: That Was Just the Warm-Up

**Chapter 4: That Was Just the Warm-Up**

* * *

Rainier and the White Wolf stared at each other for a long few moments, quietly.

"Remy…" the younger began uncertainly, body stiff with nervous energy. "How have you been? It's been quite some time!"

Remy leaned back into the booth's seat, turning out to look over the rest of the bar. "Quiet. Fall's been calm like always. Few patrols I've been on, everything looks good."

"And how's everything back at home?"

The White Wolf nodded. "Rafaela's good- tired, with the new business. Father's… father. Mother's… it's…" He trailed off, a touch of sadness bleeding into his expression. "...Getting that time of the year again."

"Ah… I suppose it is."

The two wolves lapsed into silence, a dark cloud beginning to settle over them. The mood was broken after a moment as a waitress came over, smiling at them, a paper held in hand. "What can-"

"Bourbon, double." Remy cut in shortly, not looking up at her, gaze turned back to his brother.

She blinked in surprise, doing a double take between the Vacuoans. "...Ah… ahkay? And you?"

Rainier smiled apologetically at her, giving her a small wave. "Just water will be fine."

She nodded, shooting the older Platina another curious look before marching off. Remy inclined his head, throwing an arm over the back of his seat. "I caught your fight against the Mistrali."

The younger Vacuoan's eyes went steely as he smiled. "Ah. So you did."

"Flew in just in time to come watch."

"…And? What _scathing criticism_ do you have for me? What _cutting words_ have you prepared?"

The White Wolf looked at his brother for a moment- before snorting. "It was sloppy."

Rainier chuckled, dipping his head low. "Of _course_ you would-"

" _It was sloppy_. I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you- but _you,"_ The veteran warrior leaned forwards, stoic visage fading slightly into a look of coy appraisal. "That was fast, Rain. Very. _Very_ fast. Faster than I've ever seen you run, and it's not close."

That brought the mirth back to the younger faunus' face. "Well... I did train every day."

The brothers stared off for a moment- Rainier's eyebrow cocked coyly, Remy's face slowly twisting to surprise. "...You're serious?"

"Deadly."

The White Wolf let out a snort- before it turned into a full-blown chortle, non-metallic hand slapping against the table-top. "That's a riot. Rainier Platina, bachelor through and through. Training."

The two Platina brothers shared a chuckle, before the younger let out a small sigh, turning towards the window. "...What did you think of my team?"

Remy's laughter trailed off, knuckle thrumming against wooden counter. "...The girl- short one. Your leader, right?"

"...Right."

"She's inexperienced. Panicked when she should've been calm, reacted when she should have waited- most importantly, though, she let you and the archer split off. A team dies as individuals. The archer girl wasn't much to scoff at either. She would've been slaughtered by the swordsman if you hadn't woken her up,"

Rainier grit his teeth together, turning his gaze downwards. His brother watched his expression for a moment, before continuing, "And the kid in the mech was a mess. Tough, till he lost an arm. It was like watching chickens run around with their heads cut off."

The younger faunus finally brought his eyes back up to meet his elder's own defiantly. "And yet they won."

"...Yet they won."

"Don't underestimate them, brother. I made that mistake as well. We may not be the most cohesive team, but we work in our own way. And that's all that matters to me."

The Vacuoans went quiet again, Remy's gaze softening. "...You grew up."

"I... I suppose I did."

"If you'd said these things to me a year ago, I would've said you were bullshitting me. But you... you've got that look in your eye," The White Wolf's arm extended out, clasping his brother on the shoulder. "You're hardly the same pup who left Tear's Fall."

"If it's any consolation... I admit that the Rainier that left home was a cocky prick."

Remy burst out into laughter again, leaning back in his seat. "You care about them, huh?"

Rainier shrugged, leaning back as well. "They're... like family to me. I'd die for them... I've almost died for them, actually."

"...Almost died for them."

"Yes, that is what I said."

Remy looked over as the waitress returned with their drinks- giving him a wink as she passed. "...You're going to need to explain that."

"...Well..." Rainier took a long drink. "It started the second day we were here. There was an ape..."

* * *

The four members of Team SSSN- Sun, Neptune, and their two teammates Sage Ayana and Scarlet David- marched out onto the center podium, grinning and waving up at the cheering bystanders above them.

The four gathered Vale teams cheered for the by-proxy friend, Blake looking down and catching Sun's eye, the two huntsmen sharing a smile as Team SSSN took stock of their opponents; an all female team hailing from Vacuo, Team NDGO.

Weiss leaned back, shaking her head as Neptune grinned at his opponents, shooting them duel finger guns. "He never stops, does he?"

Lance shrugged. "Man's got hustle, you can't fault that."

Jaune shared the shrug. "I mean… if it works for him, y'know?"

"You two are no better!" Weiss shot back.

"No better than Rainier either."

"That's not true! He's not a- a shameless flirt like _you_ _two_ Neanderthals."

Daria rolled her eyes. "Sure thing, Weiss. Sure thing."

Nora grinned, completely removed from the conversation at hand. "Bets! Any bets?! Which SSSN member goes down first _and how hard?!"_

"Neptune." Ren added calmly.

"Neptune." Ruby agreed, nodding.

"Neptune."

"Neptune."

"Neptune."

"Sun." Nash nodded.

Yang leaned forwards, turning to him with a frown. "Why Sun? He's our only friend on the team."

"Oh! He is? When did this happen? WHY WAS I NOT TOLD?!"

All eyes turned to him, blinking.

Blake tilted her head. "…We've known Sun for a while. You… you met him, remember? When we were making our plans to… go after the White Fang. Remember?"

"Mmnot ringin' any bells."

"He was at the docks, hon." Daria added, softly.

"Mmnope, still nothin'."

The display above the stadium lit up with activity, spinning as the biomes were decided: on NDGO's side; a sandy dune, a bright sun even appearing in to the sky, shining vividly around the stadium, getting Oracle and Yang to don their sunglasses with shared grins and a high-five. On SSSN's side… tidal waves; the area behind the Mistrali fighters gave way to a deep, verdant blue lake, a wrecked ship floating in its midst.

The four Vale teams watched as Neptune went stock still, trembling as he stared behind them at the deep depths of water, blue eyes widened to saucers.

Ruby frowned. "What's… wrong with Neptune?"

Blake ducked her head into her hands. "Oh no…"

Pyrrha frowned. "What's wrong, Blake?"

The faunus turned to her friends with a groan. "…Neptune's afraid of the water."

Lance leaned back in his seat. "Well that's just lazy parenting."

" _Team NDGO of Shade versus Team SSSN of Haven! 3… 2… 1… Begin!"_

Like a bolt, speed even rivalling Rainier's, Neptune was across the center platform, then to the other biome, perched high above the battlefield atop one of the dunes.

"Neptune, what are you doing?!" Sage barked out, throwing his hands up.

"Oh, you know… just gaining the higher ground!" The blue haired huntsman called back.

"On the enemy's side?!" Sun yelled, face exasperated.

"They would never expect it!"

One of the NDGO girls turned to her teammates. "He's not wrong."

Finally, the two teams, minus Neptune, dashed forwards, meeting each other in the center platform.

* * *

Rainier sighed, head bowing lowly. "Cerberus, their name was."

Remy's gaze turned to the side, face twisted into a scowl. "...Yeah. I've heard of them. Just whispers. They don't usually come far enough west. Damn White Fang."

"Yes, that was my thought as well."

"And only your leader got hurt?"

"Poisoned, yes. They let the rest of us go... thankfully."

"Why?"

"A message. To Ozpin."

Remy's face darkened further. "Of course it was Ozpin."

The younger Platina took a hesitant sip from his glass. "You've... met the Professor, then? History?"

"Only once," The White Wolf took a long drink from his whiskey in turn. "Short stretch with Shade Academy... that was my first thought that I didn't like the Huntsman Academies."

"Truly? I'd thought you two would get along just s _wimmingly_." Rainier muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm.

The older brother grunted. "Anyone that sends people out to fight their fights isn't someone that I trust. Or like."

Rainier cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean? It's hardly as if he's the only one to do it."

"This?" He gestured around the duo. "Is all him. He makes this entire thing run. He's got hands in every Council, in every Academy, in every Kingdom. Sees all, hears all. 'Cept, it's students like you who die out there. Not him. A guy that high up doesn't stay alive this long without something wrong going on with him."

"So, I'm expendable, then?" Rainier asked, head cocked to the side.

"I don't know how he works. Whatever goes on in his head is beyond me; but every huntsman and huntress that dies out there leads back to him."

"Now you're starting to sound like a conspiracy theorist, brother- and pardon if I'm overanalyzing, but it seems like you have a little bit more history with him than a 'short stretch' at Shade."

Remy shook his head. "...It's just a hunch I've had for a while. Don't worry about it."

"Well, now you have me worried."

"Don't worry about it, really. You know me."

"Yes, yes," Rainier rolled his eyes. "Cynical as ever, brother. I've missed that, admittedly. All the cynics here are all far too friendly."

"Yin to your yang."

That drew a surprised, quick snort from the younger Platina, spluttering as water shot out of his nose. He waved his brother off, coughing for air around small chuckles. "I'm- I'm sorry. That's not nearly as funny out of context I imagine... ahem. Sorry."

Remy let out a quiet laugh, before cocking his head to the side. "You've got a room?"

"No, sadly, they've had me sleeping on the streets. It's cold and uncomfortable at first, but you quickly get- _yes_ , I have a room. I suppose that's you asking me to take you."

"I wasn't going to say it like that, but sure."

"You're incorrigible."

* * *

The two teams collided, weapons flying as they attacked and parried each other. Sage met the blonde huntress from NDGO, taking a swing with his hulking sword, yelling out. She swung with her spear faster, the huntsman tumbling away, before rolling back to his feet with a scowl.

The huntress stead waved her spear at the sand coating the floor of the arena- three twisters began to form, swirling rapidly faster and faster, growing in size as they lurched towards the SSSN huntsman, Sage frowning at them, holding a hand up to ward off the wind and sand cutting at his face.

Without warning, the three twisters coalesced into one hulking one. The tornado picked the boy off the ground, his sword flying away as a scream ripped itself free from his throat, lifting off the ground, before going flying-

Far passed the edge of the arena, tumbling onto the tile flooring outside. He let out a yell of anger and slammed his fists into the ground.

"Sage Ayana has been eliminated!" Oobleck called out. "NDGO gains the advantage!"

Lance turned to his friends. "Oh, hey, speaking of, who all is heading to the doubles?"

"Myself and Yang," Weiss said matter-of-factly. "Obviously."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "'Obviously.'"

"Easy there," Daria muttered. "It was gonna be…" She turned to her team. "Rainier and…"

"You." Gail said with a nod, brown eyes earnest.

Nash, though, frowned. "I mean… _I'm_ the one with the big robot…"

Shinai shook his head. "What happens when someone disables your suit, like Uliuli did in your last fight?"

"This is the second round, Nash," Pyrrha said more softly, reaching over to put a hand on the youngest huntsman's shoulder. "He's… got a point. You'd just leave Rainier in a two-on-one fight then."

"I… yeah. Guess you're right. So Rain and Daria then?"

The DRGN team leader smiled at him. "Don't worry. We'll win it for you, bud."

Lance turned to his own team. "So what do-"

"And Octavia Ember has been eliminated! We're down to 3-on-3!" Port called out, bringing the teams' attention back to the fight.

"Oh hey, fighting!" Ruby said, leaning forwards to reassess the battlefield.

Over in the dunes, Neptune and one of the NDGO huntresses had locked up, while Scarlet and the girl who had eliminated Sage were fighting back towards the center platform. Sun was off on his own, standing over the unmoving form of Octavia, surveying the battlefield himself.

They watched as the girl with the spear swung the weapon, another massive cyclone rising into the air and swooping Scarlet into its winds, lifting him off of his feet. After a few moments, it flung him away, sending off towards the deep swathe of water, painfully close to either drowning or getting ringed out.

At the last second, though, he turned, diving onto part of the last remaining mast of the shipwreck, nearly falling before quickly righting himself, finding his feet, blinking owlishly. It took only for a moment before the last member of NDGO turned her attention to him, charging forwards and firing bolt after bolt with her crossbow at him, before sinking one into the base of the mast itself. She leapt into the air, using the bolt to further propel herself upwards, joining Scarlet atop the shipwreck, folding the limbs of the crossbow to form a wicked, silver sword aimed at the other swordsman's face.

The two locked blades, slashing at and parrying each other skillfully, dueling back and forth across the length of the mast. After a moment, the huntress found an opportunity, pushing her blade against his and began forcing him down, his back to the post as he grit his teeth against the force.

She only held the advantage for a moment, though, before he ripped his sword free, shouldering her away to gain some breathing room. He took a swing at her, getting her to raise her guard- then feinted, smashing his elbow into her and sending her careening off of the mast, crashing into the beach far below.

"So what about you guys?" Oracle asked, giving Jaune and Pyrrha a quick look.

"We were thinkin-" Jaune started.

"Cause it's gotta be Pyrrha." Yang added.

Ren nodded sagely. "Of course."

"Oh my gods- it's gonna be Jaune, isn't it?" Daria asked, turning surprised eyes from the fight to the blonde leader of Team JNPR.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean… we know each other like the back of… each other's… hands- that metaphor got out of control really quickly."

Pyrrha smiled. "He's right though. We've been training together for months-"

" _Privately?"_ Oracle whispered, pushing her sunglasses down her face to stare intently at the red-headed huntress.

"I… oh, hey, the fight is still on, _haha_!" Pyrrha called out, chuckling nervously as she turned pin-prick green eyes back to the battlefield.

The gunslinger slowly looked away, own emerald eyes narrowing, mouthing: ' _I will find out_.'

Jaune stared between the two huntresses, sweat beginning to drip down his face from the intensity of their stares, slowly sinking back into his seat.

Far below, in the battlefield below, Scarlet fired from his massive pistol, a grappling hook soaring out over the battlefield to hook the ankle of the huntress fighting Neptune, the cord zipping as she came flying back towards the center platform, then to the ocean biome beyond it. The SSSN fighter dropped from the mast as the girl began rising into the air, coming to a stop as his feet touched the ground.

She let out a yelp as she fought to keep her skirt in place from her position, scowling as dozens of knives began to fall from her dress, clattering uselessly onto the sand below-

And all around Scarlet, the boy freezing in an awkward stance as he somehow managed to avoid every blade raining down from above. Once the onslaught had finished, he relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief.

Far across the battlefield, the girl with the spear turned her attention to Sun, raising her spear as she dashed forwards. The monkey faunus yelped as he caught sight of her, turning to the palm tree a few feet from him. He dashed forwards and leapt, kicking it as hard as he could- he was rewarded with a couple of coconuts falling from its leaves, catching them victoriously, before hurling them at the girl.

She scowled back at him and the approaching improvised missiles, swinging her spear again. The coconuts' momentum stopped, then quickly reversed, catching flames as they soared back the leader of Team SSSN's direction, with immense speed. Sun's eyes widened and he let out a 'meep', scrambling down to dodge the flaming missiles, narrowly avoiding them, before sighing; completely unaware of the path they were travelling.

The coconuts soared across the battlefield, travelling from biome to biome, before finding a new target. The first one slammed into Scarlet's face, his eyes rolling up as the beginnings of an 'ow' spilled from his mouth-

The second one, though, hit much lower, smashing with uncomfortable force into his nethers.

He went stock still, hands shooting to cup his gonads as a high-pitched squeak escaped his lips, and he slowly teetered to the side, crashing into the sand.

"And… Scarlet… David- ahem. Has been eliminated," Port called out, voice strained with discomfort. "Someone get him some ice?"

Lance rose to his feet, placing a fist to his mouth as he winced, before raising it in a salute. "Gods' speed, David. Gods' speed."

Nash frowned. "Wait, I'm confused."

Ruby and Daria shared a look, the latter frowning as she struggled to find the words. Finally, Pyrrha ruffled the boy's hair. "Rainier will tell you when you're older."

"Ahkay."

"NEPTUNE!" Sun shouted out, voice strained with urgency. "COULD USE SOME HELP HERE, BUDDY!"

Neptune himself shifted uncomfortably from his position still safe in the dunes. "Uh, you know, uh, it would probably be better if you came over here! Yeah! I can guard this… sector! We're in lockdown mode, brotha!"

The leader of SSSN watched the girl with the crossbow shoot down the girl dangling from Scarlet's rope. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! THERE'S NOTHING TO LOCK DOWN!"

" _LOCKDOWN_?! RIGHT! YOU GOT IT!"

The girl with the spear took a stab at Sun, narrowly missing as he dodged away. "Dude! I know you're afraid of water, but you gotta-" He cut himself off as Neptune fired a large blue blast from his gun, catching the leaping spear-wielding huntress in the air and sending her tumbling back and into the water.

"There!" The blue-haired huntsman shouted. "Are you happy now?!" He paused. "…Also, I am not afraid of water, I have no idea what you're talking about!"

The other two members of NDGO dashed into the water, helping their teammate up and aimed their weapons at Sun.

"NEPTUNE!" The faunus barked, stomping his foot in frustration.

The aforementioned Mistrali groaned in irritation, taking off at a run to the battle. "Fine! Just get out of the water, you friggin'…"

He trailed off into grumbles as he reached the other combatants, his gun unfolding and forming into a trident that he gripped _tightly_ as he got closer and closer to the water, and Team NDGO. He tip-toed closer and closer, closing his eyes tightly- before dipping the tips of his trident into the water.

Like a flip had been switched, the water lit up with electricity, blue lightning running across its length violently. The three girls began spasming, eyes widening as the electricity coursing through their bodies, falling to their knees as a buzzer sounded out.

"And with that, Team SSSN moves on to the doubles round!" Port called out. "You know what I call that victory, Dr. Oobleck?"

" _Shocking?"_

"No. Well earned. What you said is stupid."

Lance stared down at the arena floor with wide eyes, rising to his feet. He threw his hands up. "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!"

* * *

Daria's hand reached for the door handle- before she froze, frowning. The door was already open.

"Well that's disconcerting…" She muttered as her hand went to her ringblade, slowly pushing the door all the way open. Her body relaxed as she looked inside, brown eyes meeting two pairs of yellow.

The Platina brothers stared at her as she entered, one blinking in surprise, the other just… blinking.

Rainier shook his head slightly. "Ah, Dearest Daria!"

"'Dearest Daria?'" Remy grumbled.

"Oh hush. How was the match?"

"It was… different," The leader of DRGN mumbled. "I don't think we've been introduced?"

"Ah!" The younger faunus said with a start, before quickly marching to her side, broad grin splitting his face looking… strained. "How rude of me. Daria Copper of Mistral- this is Remyngton Platina of Vacuo, son of Leonardo and Camilla Platina, and the current White Wolf. Remy- Daria."

The taller Platina looked at his brother for a moment before extending his non-metallic hand, shaking the much smaller girl's own. "How many times has he done that?"

"That's… the first time in a while."

"Lucky."

The trio stood silently for a moment, before Rainier yet again recovered. "Ah, I was just showing Remy our room- he'd been curious, it's not often a Platina spends a large amount of time outside Tear's Fall, so I figured it wasn't too much of a problem to show him where I'd been staying."

"And?" Daria asked, crossing her arms as she locked eyes with the elder Platina. "Does it meet your standards?"

He stared back down at her, crossing his arms as well- much more impressively, though. "Girl, I've spent most of my life sleeping in the sand, under the stars. The better question is if it's up to _his_ standards."

Rainier chuckled nervously. "Yes, well, anyways, Remy, anything else you'd like to see, or do? My home is yours for as long as you need."

"No. Go. Spend time with your team. I'm going to go finish getting settled in. I'll call you shortly," With that, the White Wolf marched to the door, rotating his robotic arm reflexively. He stopped halfway out, turning over his shoulder to his brother and Daria. "…We're all proud of you, pup." He nodded again and left, closing the door solidly behind him.

The Vacuoan watched his brother go for a long moment, lips pursed in quiet thought.

"You alright?" The diminutive huntress asked, stepping to the side to perch on one of the room's office chairs. "You seem nervous."

"I… well, he's my brother after all. And… it's been nearly a year since the last time I saw him. He's my idol. I… do truly want to impress him."

"I've seen Rainier Platina in 'impressment' mode. That was… weirder."

He sighed as he looked to the ground. "…You know… none of them wanted me to come here?" His leader blinked, tilting her head. "My mother was _terrified_ I was going to come to a foreign kingdom just to die. He and Rafaela were concerned that I was going to run myself into the ground chasing pride and honor. My father… he… well- I was never the fighter in my family. I was the romantic, the musician, the entertainer. He was certain I'd come out here and fail. In his defense, it may have been out of a fatherly desire not to see me fall so gloriously. May have."

Daria stared in mild shock at him for a moment. "Rainier Platina. One of the top fighters in this entire friggin' tournament… they thought _you_ wouldn't make it?"

"Like I said; I wasn't the fighter. Talented, yes, but I've never been one to train, to make myself do the hard work. I came out here _because_ of that. I just… want to make them proud. My family is one burgeoning with brilliant fighters. Even my sister, a bloody businesswoman, is a phenomenal, born fighter."

His leader continued to watch her friend. "…You know you're my best friend, right?"

"I… no. I did not."

"You're… my favorite. If everyone else left, and I just had you left… I think I'd be fine."

Rainier stared at her with narrowed eyes. " _Buuut_ … you still wouldn't let me take you on a date?"

"You… oh, hon. I'm more into… _curves_."

"Oh. Oh! OH! That makes so much sense!"

"Yuh-huh."

"So… I suppose we're more-"

"You're like a brother to me, Rain."

He raised a hand to his heart, blinking in surprise. "I… hadn't thought I'd meant that much to you."

She shrugged as she pushed away from the wall, rolling over to where he was sitting on one of the beds. "Even after your douchebaggery at the dance, I can't stay mad at you forever," She leaned against his shoulder, getting him to lean back. "When… before we go on break, I think want to tell you about my brother."

"You have a _brother_? And I was not aware of this _why_?"

"I… don't know. I feel bad. You've shared everything about your family with me, and I haven't told you anything about my life. Once the tournament's over, I'll tell you. Once it's over, though. I don't think I'm strong enough to have a mental breakdown then go on fighting, like you are."

"If… it's any consolation… you are my best friend as well. More so than Lance, or Nash. We do have a connection that far out-reaches most I've made in my life. And… you are far stronger than you'll ever know, Dearest."

"…Thanks…"

The duo sat in silence for a long few moments, staring at the door as the warm light of the setting sun shone in on them.

She turned up to him, previously soft brown eyes going seriously dark. "Hey, Rain?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"What's going on with you and Weiss?"

The faunus went stock still. "I… have no idea what you mean."

She pulled away from him. "Don't play dumb with me, I've been watching you two- _you in particular_ \- since the tournament's started. Do you… have a crush on her?"

He put a hand to his heart, now in indignation. "Daria! Rainier Platina, the brother of the White Wolf does _not_ have crushes!" She simply stared at him, unimpressed look not fading. Slowly, his resolve crumbled, and he slouched in his seat. "…I don't know what to do-"

"So you _do_ have a crush on her!"

"No! Not… quite."

"Are… you in _love_ with her?"

"I… don't know. Let- let me explain to you who Rainier is- he is a romantic, dauntless and unattached. I have romanced quite a few girls in my time, from Tear's Fall, across the Vacuoan peninsula, and now, even in Vale itself. And I never. _Never_. Fall in love. I'm like Lance- except instead of breaking up with them over text, I take them on a final date and give them flowers as an apology and farewell gift-"

"Wow, I hate you so much right now."

"Yes! Exactly! That is why I always thought I could never snag you; you didn't want to be swept off your feet, showered with adoration, and inevitably left behind. Spending this semester with you, I'd… forgotten what it was _like_ to lead an empty fling with a poor girl who didn't deserve to get caught up with me. Never mind that, though, the point remains- any and all relationships I've had have been with susceptible girls who were just _waiting_ for their Prince Charming to save them from their dull lives. Enter guitar playing, smooth talking, charming Rainier with the beautiful accent."

"Okay, none of that is Weiss though."

He sighed. "…Exactly. How many boys have tried to earn her favor over the course of the year? Countless, yes? She turned them all down. Even Neptune- _Neptune_!- couldn't catch her. She doesn't want to be swept off her feet, just like you. She wants to be solitary and alone, and strong on her own. I've… never met anyone like her, not even you. It's… so very alien to me, and yet it makes my heart sing in a way it never has."

Daria sighed, leaning back. "I mean, you guys are pretty similar though. You're both musicians who come from influential families who came here, from far-off kingdoms, on your own. You probably feel some connection to her."

"Perhaps. Perhaps. Nevertheless, I… feel an attraction to her that is absolutely curious. I can't get her out of my head. I think about her anytime I have no distractions. When we're all together, the only thing I want to do is talk to _her_. I… I don't know. And that terrifies me- but is oh-so scintillating in the same breath."

She nodded. "You've got it bad, Rain. And, as your newly-dubbed sister- as much as I _disapprove_ \- it's my duty to help you here."

He stared at her, before chuckling. "You're a strange girl, Dearest Daria. But you don't have to do this. It's not your problem to decipher."

"No, I don't, but I can at least lend some advice."

"Very well then."

"You can't just flirt with her, flutter your eyelashes and expect her to come running to you. She's not a shallow girl like that. But she's also not a fight nerd like you or Yang, so you're not gonna impress her with some feat of athleticism in our doubles match. You've gotta think… what exactly do you two have super intrinsically in common?"

"I… well, you've discovered my problem as well, _congratulations_!"

Daria gave him an unimpressed look. " _Music,_ Rain. _Music._ "

"…You're not _wrong_ -"

"Weiss has got her own problems, and has got no time to spend with people who don't have her best interests in mind. You've gotta do something that tells her how much you really care about _her_. _That's_ all on you though."

"Well, that's… help… ful…" His eyes widened. "My gods!" He shot to his feet, giving her a dramatic kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back later tonight!" He disappeared from the dorm in a silver blur, grabbing his jacket on the way out.

She watched him go, hand reaching up to touch her cheek. "…I don't even know what's going on anymore."

* * *

Team SOUL stared up at Amity Colosseum, eyes watching the last of the bystanders and officials leave in the last flurry of ships descending from its surface.

"So Rainier's brother, the White Wolf came back. Then, like, an hour later, Weiss' sister, some kind of Atlesian specialist? Comes back. What are the odds?" Lance asked out, finally breaking the silence, legs dangling off the edge of the pillar he was perched on.

"To be fair, it's the Vytal festival, darlin'," Oracle shrugged, sitting beside him. "I think it'd be weirder if more people's families didn' show up. Anyone else expectin' famous relatives to come 'round?"

There wasn't a response for a long moment.

"Well…" She muttered. "That's just depressin'."

"No problem, though," Lance cut in, stretching languidly. "We've got each other, eh? That's all I need."

"D'aw."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Even broody down there, yeah, I'm talkin' to you Ul'."

"Shove it." The hulking teen muttered back, sitting on the dirt, leaning against the pillar.

"Love you too, bud."

Shinai looked up from his own position, sitting cross-legged. "Have we decided on who is fighting in the doubles?"

"Well, one's gotta be you, captain," Oracle said, cocking her head to the side pointedly. "But… I guess you and Lance then."

Ulysses was silent for a moment before grunting his assent, nodding his head.

Shinai nodded as well. "Then it's decided. Lance, you and I-"

"Guys," The blonde swordsman cut in quietly. "Shinai and Ulysses."

Oracle tipped her hat back, looking over to him. "You sure? Not like Lance Zaffre to give up a chance for glory."

The leader of Team SOUL rose to his feet, frowning up at his teammate. "Explain."

Lance sighed. "Ignoring that I got eliminated in our first fight-"

"That's not your fault, hon-"

"Oracle, it's fine. It happened, I'm not gonna act like it didn't… I'm the slowest fighter here. I hit wide, and hard, but I'm slow. A good enough fighter- especially _two_ good fighters'll take advantage of that," His face hardened as he pointed down to the frowning face of Ulysses. "But you throw the big guy in there, next to Shinai? That's two fighters who can cover up each other's weaknesses. You get Ul to rush 'em, swingin' Avenger all over the place, then have the captain stay back, pickin' his spots to pick whoever you're facing off? That's a perfect strategy for the duos. I'm great at fighting grimm, and I'm excellent at fighting in a group- but I'm a piss poor duelist, and you guys all know it. It's gotta be you two."

The other three members of SOUL were silent for a long few moments as the sun continued to set on them.

Shinai slowly began to nod. "Well thought out, Zaffre."

Ulysses watched his partner for a moment. "…You sure, swordsman?"

Lance raised a hand, gesturing off to Vytal Colosseum. "Look where we are, Ul. This is bigger than me. Yeah, I'm sure. I'll make that call if no one else will."

Oracle stared at him silently, sunglasses pulled from her face, expression unreadable.

"It's settled. Myself and Ulysses," Shinai nodded, purple eyes… reassessing Lance's face, head cocked to the side. "We'll start working on strategy tomorrow. We've got the last day of teams before the doubles round will start. We'll work on the game plan and training until then. Understood?"

The hulking member of SOUL rose to his feet, nodding. He watched the duo perched above his head for a moment, before extending his hand. Oracle was the first to take it, letting Ulysses help her down. He outreached his hand again.

After a moment, Lance took it, hopping down. The partners didn't let go for a moment, black eyes staring into blue.

"I was wrong about you." Ulysses muttered, nodding.

"If it's any consolation, bud- I was too. I was too."

* * *

 **A/N: Now, I know what you're thinking: 'Kota, you were doing so good! You were on a roll, then you went dark for another month. Shame. SHAME!'**

 **Hold your horses, torches, and pitchforks, friends. I've actually written five chapters in the meanwhile. They were all just…**

 **The first five.**

 **That's right, the long-awaited re-writes for Volume 1 are here! With new characterization, better storytelling, dialogue, world-building, and scene setting! If you'd like, give 'em a re-read. Nothing actually changed, of course, but it is just… a better volume. If you're anxious for more Dragon Soul.**

 **If you're reading this after starting _with_ the re-writes, then ignore this message.**

 **Back to fightin' next chapter.**

 **Cheers,  
Infernokota**


	21. Chapter 5: Live and Learn

**Chapter 5: Live and Learn**

* * *

The blood dripped from the blade, pooling onto the floor. Vegas flicked it to the side, sending a spray of crimson across the floor and wall, stepping over the body with a scowl. He stared down at the body of the Atlesian soldier, white armor and garments slowly soaking red.

"Cin." He spat, touching a hand to his ear.

There was a long few moments of silence, before: " _Goldie, I'm in the middle of something."_

He growled. "And I just got out of something. Soldiers caught sight of me."

" _And did you deal with them_?"

"Of course."

" _Then what's the problem_?"

"That they found me. And there's now three missing soldiers."

" _Oh, Goldie. Just a couple more days. Everything's going perfectly according to plan. Have some patience. And… if any more of Ironwood's little tin men show up… feel free to have some fun. No one will notice until it doesn't even matter._ "

He stared off into nothingness for a few moments, before nodding slowly. "…Fine. Keep me informed."

" _Feel free to drop by the Colosseum today. Emerald and Mercury have… a showcase in mind. I'm certain that they'll love to have you there. I made sure that their opponents are perfect."_

"…I'll be in the Mistrali section."

 _"Excellent, Goldie. See you then."_

The line went dead, and he sighed, rotating his neck, grinding the kinks out with a series of cracks. The killer looked down at the lifeless bodies, grunting to himself. "Look at you. Legendary assassin Vegas Gold; going to go watch kids play fight. The things you do…"

He shook his head, stepping over the bodies and wrapping his dark cloak back around himself, hood pulled low over his face.

* * *

"And who the hell is Team BLDD anyways?!" Rainier barked, throwing a hand up as he scowled at his notepad, pale yellow eyes narrowed at the piece of paper, uncharacteristic dark bags hanging from his eyelids.

Ruby jumped in surprise, turning quickly to him. "I- who- wha?"

"Our next opponents. BLDD. Vacuoan. I didn't even see their fight! And I have _never_ heard of them, in my life. Baffling."

"You keep up to date with all things Vacuo huntsmanning?" Lance asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Weiss has got her eye on Atlas, right?" Daria asked. "Can't be that much different."

"Apparently, not nearly well enough. For example: how _exactly_ Team DRAB managed to make this tournament." The Atlesian heiress muttered back.

Rainier gave his leader a side-eyed look, receiving one in return. "Well, they gave SOUL a run for their money… for… a moment."

"A proper Atlesian team would have held their own far better, even if they wouldn't have won."

"Yes, well, it is _SOUL_ we are talking about."

"What about Team SNOW?" Pyrrha asked, gingerly taking Rainier's notepad and looking it over.

"SNOW?" Lance asked with a frown. "Who the hell is _SNOW?_ "

The resident Vacuoan threw his hands up. "Thank you!"

"We really need to watch more of the matches." Ren muttered.

"Where's the fun in that?!" Nora called over. "You've gotta make a strategy on the fly- that's the true test of a warrior!"

"I really don't think it is."

"Emerald and Mercury of Haven versus Coco and Yatsuhashi of Beacon!"

The eyes of the Vale huntsmen turned back to the arena floor far below, as the two pairs of fighters lined up across from each other, squaring off as they waited for the biomes to be chosen.

Velvet and Fox rose from their seats besides their younger Vale compatriots, the faunus waving down to her leader and partner. "Good luck you two!"

* * *

Coco looked her opponents up and down, smirking at Emerald. "Hey! Love the outfit, kid!"

The mint-haired fighter gave her an unimpressed look. "I'll try not to get blood on it."

"I can't promise you'll leave without a scratch." Yatsuhashi called back, removing his greatsword from his back.

"I won't be the one bleeding."

Coco grinned at her teammate. "Ooh, I like her."

The area around the center platform split into quarters: a patch of plains, the grass raising up to the heads of the three shorter fighters; a collection of city ruins, filled with shattered glass and rubble; a steaming hot spring alongside a small river, blue dust crystals lining the rock; and finally, a thick swathe of verdant green forest, looking suspiciously like Beacon's own Emerald Forest.

"Three! Two! One! Begin!"

Emerald and Mercury simply stalked backwards, disappearing into the tall grass. The two Vale huntsmen shared a grin, as Coco raised her purse and flicked it- forming a hulking gatling gun, golden and brown. She dug her feet into the tile, pulling the trigger and simply letting the rain of bullets fall down onto the field, cutting the grass in half with ease. After a moment, she stopped, both members of CFVY whirling about.

The two "Mistrali" huntsmen were gone.

The crowd went silent as well as a murmur of confusion fell upon the arena, all eyes scanning the battlefield curiously. Blake's eyes widened, shooting to attention:

"Look out!"

Yatsuhashi pushed Coco away from him as Mercury fell from the sky, bringing his sword up to block the double-stomp attempted by the silver fighter, pushing him away. The leader of CFVY began firing relentlessly after her opponent, who just managed to stay a step ahead of the rain of bullets.

Mercury reached his opponents quickly, leaping up and kicking the barrels of Coco's weapon away, swiveling away from Yatsuhashi's blade, before lashing out with two swift kicks to his head. He landed skillfully onto the barrels of the minigun, kicking her squarely in the face, before leaping over another slash from the hulking swordsman. Yatsuhashi swung again, this time striking true, sending the silver-haired fighter falling backwards, putting Coco between the two of them; and her gun pointed right at his chest.

The duo froze for a moment, before the leader of CFVY snapped her gun back into its purse mode, both turning back to Mercury.

Their opponent leapt, kicking out twice- and sent two blasts of wind from his boots, the Vale huntsmen narrowly parrying them away. He hit the ground and rolled so that he was standing on his hands, twirling quickly, more and more of the blasts flying out to circle him like a cyclone. At once, they all flew towards the CFVY huntsmen, hiding them in a cloud of smoke and lights, their arms flying up to block them.

With shocking speed, Mercury circled back around behind them, kicking both away from him swiftly. There was a whir of movement, before two sickles attached to chains flew from the cover of the forest, snatching Coco and dragging her into its depths.

"Coco!" Yatsuhashi yelled, watching her go in vain.

* * *

Rainier leaned forwards in his seat, folding his hands in front of his face. He turned down the length of his friends' row, catching Velvet's concerned look, then down the other side; catching Shinai's eye. The faunus shook his head, pale yellow eyes conveying his concerns.

The samurai nodded back. Lance looked between the two, before his face lit up in understanding. "Ah. Yeah. They've got them."

"Divide and conquer." The Vacuoan muttered appraisingly, face twisted in distaste.

"What happened to 'whatever it takes'?" Jaune asked with a frown. "Now you're upset about it?"

"As it happens, I quite like Team CFVY," Rainier shot back. "I was pulling for them. A shame."

* * *

Yatsuhashi quickly latched onto Mercury, hurling his opponent far away into the hot-springs area, following swiftly behind him, sword lifted to strike. He leapt up with a roar, bringing his blade back down, nearly catching the silver-haired warrior, only for him to bring his feet up, blocking the sword's path, coming to a stand still. The blocked blow let out a low 'boom', a shockwave sending water splashing into the air, and the stone shattering, several geysers forming around them.

Mercury fired two more blasts from his boots, getting the hulking huntsman to stumble back, giving the "Mistrali" room to swipe at Yatsuhashi's feet, narrowly missing, scrambling to his feet. A grin split his visage, and he swept a large rock off of the ground, kicking it squarely into his opponent's face, stunning the large samurai, giving him ample time to let out a flurry of kicks, taking the green-armored huntsman down-

Right over one of the geysers, a steaming hot stream of water flying up to submerge his head. Yatsuhashi let out a scream of pain as he scrambled to his feet- eyes opening just to see a silver boot soaring for his face.

All eyes turned to the form of Coco, slamming into one of the forest's trees, her sunglasses falling from her face to shatter across the grassy floor. She scowled and muttered to herself.

* * *

Shinai's eyes widened. " _No_ ," All eyes turned to him. He sighed, face relaxing to its default stony expression. "Emerald's semblance. She has this one already won."

"Semblance?" Daria asked, eyebrows furrowing.

"It... it would explain why she was chosen for the duos. You'll see."

* * *

Emerald began firing from the branches of the trees, narrowly missing Coco as the huntress dodged away, bringing her gatling gun back out and letting a spray of return fire loose, the mint-haired criminal disappearing back into the leaves of the trees.

She jumped in shock, before turning over her shoulder, face softening. "Watch out, she's in the trees!"

* * *

"Oh, and with that blow, Yatsuhashi Daichi has been eliminated!" Port called out.

The leader of CFVY's eyes widened in shock as she wheeled back around, looking for something that wasn't there. "What?!" She shouted out in strained frustration, hands shakily holding onto her gun. Slowly, Emerald rose up from behind her opponent, sickles raised high into the air.

* * *

"And with an amazing upset, Emerald and Mercury are victorious!"

While the Mistrali crowd burst out into cheers for their teammates, the Vale crowd showered the arena with a round of furious boos, Emerald and Mercury standing over their opponents in the center platform for a moment, before stalking off to the exits.

Velvet slowly rose to her feet, hand pressed to her mouth. "Coco?" She asked quietly, staring in shock at her unmoving teammates.

"Well..." Oracle muttered, moving her hat back on her head. "That was unsettling."

"Battle induced hallucinations?" Lance mused, arms crossed. "I've seen people lose it during stressful battles. It happens."

"Not quite." Their leader said quietly, rising to his feet.

Pyrrha gave him a sidelong look. "Terror tactics?"

"...Of a sort. It's hard to explain, and she wasn't this good at it when we were young."

Rainier's eyes were locked onto him, gaze hard- he said nothing otherwise.

"Well," Jaune said with a sigh. "That's the first Vale team out."

Ruby stared down at the two retreating Mistrali for a moment. "...Yeah. Let's go get them."

* * *

DRGN and SOUL stared at the massive form of one of Beacon's lecture halls, perched on one of the many fountains lining the campus, conversation held to a minimum as they just… enjoyed the day.

"Where's RWBY?" Lance asked.

"The girl, the gem, or the team?" Oracle muttered back.

"Oh shove it."

Daria sighed. "Yang and Rubes are hanging out with their uncle who just came in- which makes three famous relatives, by the way- and Weiss went to have lunch with her sister. Blake's probably off hangin' out with Sun, I don't know."

"And JNPR?" Rainer added, opening one eye to peer at his friends.

"Dunno," The shortest huntress there replied. "They boogied out after the CFVY match. I think Jaune got stage fright for their fight, who knows."

"You're pretty quiet over there, Short Stuff." Lance said, leaning forwards to look down at Nash.

The boy was silent for a moment. "…What did the green girl do to Coco, captain?"

Shinai didn't react for a beat of awkward silence, before his purple eyes shot over to the mechanic. "Oh. You're talking to me."

"You are the captain… ' _cap'n'_. You are the cap'n, after all."

The samurai shook his head. "Emerald's semblance lets her make illusions."

"Like the ice cream girl that RWBY fought back at the bridge?" Daria offered.

"I always forget you guys fought White Fang!" Lance yelled out. "No one ever talks about it!"

"Well, after they crashed a train through Vale's wall, the girls managed to capture Roman," Oracle said. "No gang boss; no gang crimes; no big deal."

"That seems far too easy though," Rainier muttered. "But… they'd tell us if they needed our assistance any more, no?"

"Anyways," Shinai continued. "I suppose. It's… a useful semblance for dueling. It's no surprise that she went to the doubles round, though I doubt they'll choose her for the finals; once someone discovers the trick, it's use diminishes."

Daria brought up her Scroll, sighing as the clock flashed across its surface. "It's getting' that time."

"You ready?" The lone faunus asked, cocking his head to her.

"As ready as I'll be."

Lance turned to them. "You guys off?"

"We should be," The leader of DRGN said, rising to her feet alongside her doubles partner. "We wanna get there early, warm-up a little bit and talk about the plan, one-on-one."

Oracle rose as well, hugging her shorter friend. "Good luck, hon. We'll be cheerin' for you."

"Thanks."

"And round up the others, won't you?" Rainier asked, folding his hands behind his head. "I'd hate for them to miss the show."

"Course, darlin'."

Gail nodded to her teammates, giving them a soft smile. "G-good luck, you two. I know you can win."

"Thank you, Miss Cerulean. I appreciate the support. I'll put one between their eyes, just for you." Rainier said, sharing the smile.

Nash's face crumbled as he dashed forwards, throwing his arms around his partner. " _Goood luuuck_!" He cried. "I hate that I can't be out there wit' you…"

She let out a coo of adoration, ruffling his hair. "It's alright, bud. You'll be right there with us,"

* * *

" _There's no way we can lose with your support."_

Daria and Rainier stared across the platform at their opponents.

Two huntresses stood opposite of them, eyes just as intelligently sizing them up as the representatives of DRGN were.

"Bisha Roman." The taller girl offered. She, like her partner, was remarkably sun-tanned, showing their long-term residency in Vacuo. Her hair was buzzed on the sides and back, the top long and dark, falling to the side and reaching down passed her jawline. She was dressed in a sleeveless red vest, the front left unzipped, the top half of her torso wrapped in bandages. Around her right bicep was tied a matching red bandana; the fingers on her right hand were wrapped in black tape, while her left forearm was covered in a red and gold bracer. Her legs were clad in black pants, tucking into red, metallic kickpads, traced in gold, stretching from her knees down to her boots. Hooked onto her belt were two long hookblades, silver gleaming in the sun.

"Kazu." The other added, more dryly. She was darker in complexion than her teammate, black hair cut short and left wild around her head. She was dressed in a white, red and gold shirt, poofy in the sleeves, but more form fitting around her torso, fingerless black and gold gauntlets covering the lower half of her arms. Her shoulders were covered in a purple and gold shawl, black fur wrapping around its collar. Her pants were black, though most of it was covered in long metallic boots; the right one black and red, the other gold and red, both highlighted in purple. Her right hand was outstretched to the side, balanced on the end of the shaft of her hammer; a hulking creation, as tall as she was, the head was a monstrosity of gears and pulleys, dust crystals glowing at its base.

Rainier bowed to them. "Rainier-"

"We know who you are, Platina." The latter called back, cutting him off.

"Finally! A Vacuoan who actually knows who the Platinas are!"

Bisha pointed up to the Vacuo section of the crowd. "2/3rds of the people up there know who you are, little wolf."

"Yes, and I suppose you are here to break the oh-so pretty face of that damned traitor?"

"We're here to put on a good show with that 'damned traitor'. You might be Vale, Rainier, but you're still a Platina. You're still one of Vacuo's favorite sons."

Kazu snorted. "Pfft- watch," She turned to the Vacuo crowd. "LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BROTHER OF THE WHITE WOLF!"

The section burst out into a raucous cheer, whistling and hollering in support of the youngest Platina.

He put a hand to his heart, turning to his teammate. "I'm touched!"

* * *

"TRAITOR!" Lance barked, shooting to his feet and pointing an overly-dramatic finger at his friends.

"Oh don't be so overly-dramatic," Weiss shot back. "He's just enjoying the approval of his hometown."

"He could kick Daria in the face, and you'd _still_ take his side."

"Don't be pedantic, Zaffre. I'm simply pointing out facts; if the Atlas crowd were so unkempt like the Vacuoans to cheer at any little thing, I'd certainly enjoy their approval as well."

Nash shot to his feet, slamming the back of the seats in front of him, to the ire of the huntsman below. "LET'S GO DARIAAAA!"

"Don't worry, Short Stuff," Lance muttered under his breath, wicked smile crossing his face. "I've got a chant for her too."

"Ooh, _ominous_!" Nora said with a matching grin.

* * *

Daria elbowed Rainier. "You done flirting? I thought you were settled on Schnee."

"Oh hush, I'm simply playing nice- tell me, are you two from out west?"

"I am," Bisha offered, idly taking up one of her ring blades. "The Vacuoan temple, west of the city."

"Oh! I know a man who would be _delighted_ to meet you!"

"The Kyani boy, I know. You'll have to introduce us."

Kazu rolled her eyes. "You done flirting? I thought we were here to beat them."

Bisha poked her teammate in her temple. "You're the one who insisted on getting our people riled up for him."

"I'm a woman _of_ the people. It's what I do."

The display board whirred to life, four sets of biome-symbols whirring across its screen as the fighters and fans watched with bated breaths.

Desert dunes; a river; a mountain; lava?

The sections behind the four huntsmen disappeared, replacing with the familiar rolling dunes present in SSSN's fight against NDGO; a roaring, wide river, bordered by two strips of grass; a rocky, elevated mountainous region, swirling with a snowstorm; and a large swathe of volcanic rocks, lava oozing between them, filling the vast majority of the biome.

"Daria and Rainier of Team DRGN versus Bisha and Kazu of Team BLDD!" Port called out, the four fighters crouching low in combat stances.

"3! 2! 1! Begin!"

None of the combatants moved.

Rainier grinned. "Clever girls."

"What are you doing? What happened to the plan?!" Daria hissed.

"I'm waiting. Just like they are. Stone cold Kazu would have swatted me out of the air the moment I neared them. Bisha's from a huntsman temple, meaning she's at the very least as _technically_ proficient as Shinai. This… is not going to be easy, Dearest Daria."

The shorter huntress watched their opponents warily, sighing. "Alright then; what's the _new_ plan?"

"I'll take Bisha, you take Kazu."

"Y- you mean split up? What happened to 'rush them together'?"

"That was the plan. They expected the plan. New plan."

"…Why don't you take Kazu? She's got the hammer, so she'll be slower. Take her down while I keep Roman at bay, then we'll double team her. Easy win," The faunus didn't answer, getting his leader to look up at him with a narrowed, suspicious gaze. After a moment, her eyes widened. " _You want to fight someone from a temple_."

"…That is the thought occurring to me at this moment, yes."

"You selfish little- this isn't the time for your fight-boner, Rain! If we lose here, we're out!"

"Yes, that thought occurred as well. Don't worry," He turned to her with a warm grin. "You're the smartest huntress I know. You'll figure it out."

"I'm going to beat the everloving smug out of you after this fight."

"Then make sure we're both conscious to do it!"

* * *

The crowd went silent as the four combatants stared each other down, Bisha and Kazu whispering to each other solemnly while Daria and Rainier began… _arguing_.

Oracle buried her face in her hands. "Guys, really? Right now? They're- they're doin' this right now?"

Ruby shrugged slightly. "Hey… it worked for Jaune?"

"Oh and what does that mean?"

"You know _exactly_ what that means."

"She has a point." Pyrrha offered.

"A big point!" Nora added. "Huge, hulking, monstrous point!"

"On the nose." Ren finished.

"Shinai, how do you keep their respect?" Jaune asked, turning downtrodden blue eyes to said samurai.

Said samurai stared back at him for a long moment. "I'm not Jaune."

Yang was the first to react, grin spreading across her face as she leaned back, eyes wide. "Oh shiii!"

Lance shook his head. "He doesn't join in very often, but when he does…"

"It cuts deep." Oracle finished.

"No, seriously," Nash muttered, crossing his arms sourly. "What're they doin'? Wha- WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?! JUST GOOO!"

They crowd roared in agreement with the short boy.

* * *

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?! JUST GOOO!" Nash shouted from the crowd.

Rainier shrugged. "You heard the boy."

He disappeared in a flash, along with Daria.

Bisha and Kazu tensed, the former turning on her heel while the other stared forwards intently.

"Pardon me," The faunus said politely, reappearing between the two, his leader by his side, blinking owlishly as she struggled to regain her bearings. "I'll be taking this." Without another word he leapt up, sending a straight kick for the back of Bisha's head-

Only for a hookblade to meet it moments before impact, hook wrapping around the ankle of his claws, spinning and sending him tumbling away. She and Kazu both turned to the DRGN team leader weapons bared. She shook the wooziness from her head, dropping low as her Infinitas shot into her hands. As she dropped, she spun, blades circling her in a spiral, getting both Vacuoans to dodge away at the last moment, narrowly avoiding being sliced up.

"WE WILL HAVE WORDS, RAINIER!" She barked at him, face turned up in a furious scowl.

"Apologies!" He yelled back as he dashed back into the fray, leaping off of Bisha's back, vaulted off of Daria's shoulders, then reached Kazu, planting both feet into her face, kicking off, corkscrewing in the air as he landed back on the other side of his leader, swiping low to take BLDD's leader's feet out from under her, both Vacuoans falling to the ground. "She's all yours!"

The monk masterfully kipped back up the moment her shoulders hit the floor, meeting Rainier face to face, yellow eyes staring into black.

He kicked out with his claws, hitting her resolutely in the shoulder as she raised an arm to block the blow, immediately bringing the jagged blade of her hookblade's handle coming down towards his neck, narrowly missing as he swiveled away. As her weapon reached the end of its arc, parallel to the ground- she fired, a bullet meeting Rainier's non-metallic foot, getting him to backstep quickly, hissing in pain.

"Fair play…" he muttered, before dashing back towards his opponent.

Kazu and Daria scrambled to square up with each other, stopping as the other raised their weapon(s), glaring at one another, circling silently.

The leader of DRGN made the first move, ringblades filling with green energy as she slashed wide, an arc of energy soaring through the air towards the Vacuoan; who promptly swung her hammer downwards, cleaving through the slash, charging forwards herself.

Daria continued to swing with her blades, arc after arc of energy flying towards Kazu, the taller huntress smashing through them as she cleared the distance quickly, leaping up to bring her hammer down hard; her crystals glowing red. The diminutive Mistrali rolled away at the last second, narrowly avoiding the explosion emanating from the spot the hammer met tile. She rolled to her feet quickly, turning focused brown eyes to the rampaging Vacuoan running from the smoke, hammer raised high to swing for Daria's head.

She ducked it, eyes watching the smoke trailing from the hammerhead thoughtfully, bringing her knee up to collide with Kazu's midsection, rewarded with a satisfying 'oomph', the Vacuoan doubling over from the blow. Daria rolled backwards, bringing her boots up as she did so, pushing them up into her opponent's torso, sending her flying over her head to soar through the air, tumbling towards the river biome.

Across the battlefield, Rainier and Bisha continued to trade blows; a kick to the ribs, a hook to the shoulderblades, forearm to the face- each Vacuoan skillfully launching attack after attack, parrying what shots they could, blocking others, moving away from the center platform in a dazzling display of technique.

Then the faunus feinted- leg beginning to shoot forwards, before quickly returning to its prior position, Bisha lifting a leg to block the attack, overreaching as her eyes widened. Rainier swiftly brought his fist up in a vicious uppercut, his opponent's head flying back as she stumbled backwards. He didn't let up, dashing forwards and planting his claws in the middle of her chest, a gunshot firing as she went soaring backwards, tumbling into the sandy dunes.

He was to her side in a heartbeat, leaping up and spinning in the air, poised to bring his claws down into her midsection, missing by a hair's width as she rolled away. Both huntsmen leapt to their feet, Rainier a moment faster, spinning in place, kicking her squarely in the face, sending her flying off towards the back of the dunes, following her in a silver blur, grabbing her by the throat, making to chokeslam her into the sand.

She swiftly turned, grabbing his arm and flipping both of them over, their backs crashing into the ground as she gripped his offending limb in a tight armbar. He rolled to his feet quickly, the monk transitioning so that her legs wrapped around his neck, tightening her grip as she began to choke the faunus out. He growled;

And leapt upwards, a cannon shot propelling him even further upwards as they arced above the tallest dune, Bisha's eyes widening in realization. She released the hold, letting both of them free fall separately, taking the opportunity to slash at him wildly, striking true.

He growled again, grasping the blade and turning in the air, a gunshot giving him more momentum, turning like a top as she struggled to maintain her grip, body flailing wildly behind her. He brought his claws up and smashed them into her face- over, and over again, snarling defiantly as they crashed down back to earth in a great cloud of sand.

Both Daria's and Kazu's gazes turned to their partners at the sound of the collision, watching the dust cloud begin to fill that half of the arena. The DRGN leader recovered first, sprinting forwards towards her opponent, leaping into the air and dropkicking the hammer-wielder squarely in the jaw, the Vacuoan leaving her feet as she flew through the air; crashing solidly into the river with a roar of a splash, water spraying through the air.

The shorter huntress rolled backwards as she hit the ground, rising to her feet quickly, waiting for her opponent with bated breath, eyes narrowed.

There was a long few moments of silence, Daria slowly straightening up as she continued to keep watch warily. For the briefest moment, she looked away, gaze finding itself wandering to the display board high above, looking for Kazu's aura bar.

It was all the distraction that the Vacuoan needed, the river roaring to life; but not with the hammer-wielder racing from its waters.

Instead, the entire river itself seemed to rise, coalescing into a single mass, river bed emptying as the water rose high above the battlefield, the crowd gasping in surprise.

Daria's eyes widened as she brought her attention back to the fight, jaw dropping in shock as she stared at the tower of liquid rising above her.

"What the-" Was all she managed to utter, before the river came rushing towards her with ridiculous speed, crashing into and around her with equally ridiculous force, a cacophony of roaring water spilling across the arena floor.

Kazu rose from the now mostly empty waterbed, staring at the waterlogged form of her opponent with an unimpressed look, soaked to the bone herself. She let her hammer head drop to the ground as she found her footing on solid ground, spitting out a mouthful of water derisively, marching towards Daria.

* * *

"What in the-" Oracle began.

"Everloving-" Yang continued.

"Ass-"

"- Flying Garbo Monster?!"

Lance and Ruby finished in unison, watching the fight down below with wide eyes.

"That is the single most ridiculous semblance I've ever seen." Jaune added, leaning back with hurt expression.

"So… she can… like… bend water?" Nash asked in confusion.

"I'm not sure. Either way, it's effective." Pyrrha muttered back.

"Here's to hoping Rainier can figure his life out in the next thirty seconds before Daria gets knocked." Oracle said, shaking her head.

"THAT. IS. THE. COOLEST." Nora breathed out, blue eyes wide in awe.

* * *

Rainier and Bisha rolled to their feet, hardened eyes glaring each other down despite the thick cloud of dust surrounding them as they backed off quickly, shaking off the impact with the ground.

"You're quite the fighter!" He called out with a surprising amount of warmness.

She watched him warily, leaning back. "I'd say the same."

"It's a shame we couldn't have met on better terms!" He charged forwards, meeting his opponent anew, leaping up and spinning, striking out with the heel of his claws viciously, missing as she stepped to the side, pressing a hand to his leg and letting his momentum carry him away.

Rainier hit the ground rolling, pushing off of the sand as he leapt back to his feet, pale yellow eyes bringing themselves back to the charging form of his opponent, Bisha swaying from side to side as she approached. He hissed out a curse as he lowered himself in a defensive stance-

And then disappeared in a blur, the monk struggling to slide to a stop, wheeling around reflexively, hookblades swinging through the air on instinct. Her swing rang true, catching the Platina across the chest, knocking him from his leap out of the air, tumbling across the sand before spinning back to his feet, jacket left to lay on the ground, dashing towards her without a second though, pushing himself to move that much faster.

Her dark eyes widened and she sucked in a breath, the faunus reaching her in a heartbeat, fist rising up to collide with her chest, the wind rushing from her. He immediately brought his claws up, planting them into her torso and sending her flying further across the dunes, the trail of dust flying in the air the only indicator of the blitzing Vacuoan.

He slid as he reached her, hand grasping up to latch onto her ankle, bringing her flipping forwards, face slamming into the tightly-packed sand. His cannon fired again, still latched onto her limb, sending both fighters flipping in the air like a top, Bisha careening towards the tallest dune in the biome as he released his grip, the monk crashing face first with a nasty crunch.

He scrambled to his feet, shaking the pain from his head- before turning back towards the center platform- and the prone form of Daria, surrounded by a thick layer of water, Kazu marching towards her steadfastly, slowly picking up speed as she raised her hammer, crystals glowing blue now.

The Vacuoan looked back at the swiftly recovering form of his own opponent, rolling his eyes, before disappearing in a blur.

* * *

Daria groaned as she slowly sat up, looking with blurry, water-filled eyes at the hazy form of Kazu rapidly approaching, hammer poised to come down and smash the shorter huntress. She scrambled to her feet, struggling as she splashed around in the waterlogged battlefield, ringblades shakily held in her hands.

"Oh just go down already." Kazu muttered as she reached her target, swinging her hammer down towards the head of the shaken huntress.

The hammer never found its mark, getting swiped out of the air with remarkable ease, clattering to the floor next to her as Rainier smiled at her, feet touching down softly onto the tile.

"That's quite enough of that," The faunus quipped, before leaping up, catching the girl across her cheek, sending her tumbling away, hammer left behind. He quickly turned to his leader, hands finding their way to her shoulders as she wiped the water from her eyes. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Daria glowered. "She hit me with the river."

"She- she _what_?"

"Shut up and fight."

The duo rounded onto BLDD, marching forwards. Bisha shot forwards with remarkable speed of her own, finding her way to Kazu's side. She leaned down to her kneeling teammate, muttering something into her ear, getting a nod in return.

The monk continued to forge on- alone though, the shorter Vacuoan having yet to rise to her feet, kneeling and watching her opponents with dark eyes, huffing in exertion, placing her hands palm first down onto the tile floor.

"New plan, Rainier," Daria muttered, getting her partner to wince. "You. Me. Bisha. And for gods' sakes, don't let the other one get her hammer."

"I… very well. After you, Dearest."

The partners took off at sprints, Rainier eking out an edge over his leader, reaching Bisha first, leaping and spinning, looking to strike out with duel kicks to his opponent, missing as the monk swiveled away at the last second, letting the faunus fly passed, immediately dashing towards her as he hit the ground, letting loose with another kick, again missing as his fellow Vacuoan artfully dodged the strike.

She didn't dodge the ringblade slashing through her back though, Daria joining the flurry, slicing vertically with her blades in a blur of steel.

Rainier leapt up, planting his claws squarely into Bisha's forehead, getting her to flip backwards, leaving her feet entirely, the leader of Team DRGN sliding low under the soaring body of her opponent, hand lashing out to snatch the monk's collar, bringing her crashing into the ground. The faunus leapt over his sliding leader, striking out with a double stomp to Bisha, striking true, a cannon shot mixing in with the blow as he soared back into the air, towards the still kneeling form of Kazu-

Only to get swatted out of the air by a pillar of tile and earth rising from the arena floor, the ground around it concaving, feeding more material into the spear-like construct. The faunus hit the ground hard, barely having the wherewithal to roll away as it stabbed down towards him, piercing the ground with ease. He leapt up to his feet, turning to his leader and the still recovering form of Bisha.

"Daria!" He barked, gesturing wildly at the reforming pillar hovering back over him again.

"Yeah, I know!" She spat back, dashing away from her opponent to join her partner; and then stopped as the pillar split into two, Kazu's face curling up in exertion, sweat beginning to stream down her face. "Move!"

The partners scrambled away from each other, narrowly avoiding the pillars crashing into the ground around them, melding back down to join the rest of the tile, before another weaponized portion of the battlefield rose back up, once again unified, the center platform now a mismatched, uneven mess, slowing Rainier down as he slowly made his way towards the prone form of Kazu.

The new pillar turned itself to the leader of DRGN, the brightly-colored Vacuoan intent on finishing the fight she had started, soaring out of the air to crash down towards the diminutive Mistrali, not landing flush as she spun away, but still catching her in the side, battering her up and away, rolling to the other side of the center platform.

Rainier found himself cut off in his run as Bisha came flying back towards him, leaping up and delivering a vicious strike with her shin, the faunus barely blocking the blow, crossing his arms in front of him to absorb the impact, still sliding several feet away as a bark of pain escaped his mouth. She didn't let up, charging forwards swiftly, hitting the ground in a slide, taking his feet out from under him. He rolled with the impact, though, turning in the air and bringing his claws down to smash into her skull, missing by a hair, the joining gunshot sending cracks spider-webbing across the tile floor.

Both Vacuoans turned to each other quickly, both lashing out with duel high kicks, catching each other in the shoulders with dual bone-crunching 'boom's. Bisha recovered first, slashing out with her hookblade horizontally; the faunus raised his fleshy foot, kicking at her elbow and deflecting the blow before it reached him. He leapt up from his standing position, crashing his metallic knee into her jaw with a satisfying crack, swiveling in the air to dropkick her away with another cannon-shot, sending the monk soaring away.

"DARIA!" He barked, chancing a look over his shoulder, searching for his leader.

The short huntress groaned as she rose to her feet, shaking the fuzziness from her head. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm comin'."

She took off at a run again, making a beeline for Kazu, their gazes locking onto each other with duel scowls. She didn't get far though, the ground rising up to just above her ankles, tripping her forwards, landing in a roll. She shot to a knee quickly, sending a glare the hammer-wielder's way.

"Oh, that is so friggin' annoying." She muttered, rising back to her feet as she took off again, ringblades raised high.

Rainier let out a grumble of irritation as he turned back to the swiftly rising form of Bisha. "You know, my friend, this is far scrappier than I thought it would be!"

"You talk a lot, 'my friend.'" She mumbled back as she held her hookblades at the ready.

"Oh, you get used to it."

They charged forwards again, meeting in another clash, the faunus spinning and sending the back of his fist flying for her face, missing as she ducked quickly, launching up and pressing off of his knee without losing any forwards momentum. She brought her knee up and caught it- and most of her shin as well- across his face, forcing both huntsmen to flip head-over-heels, crashing into the floor wildly.

Bisha regained her bearings first, scrambling over to take advantage of his prone position- right before she was replaced with an arc of green energy, rolling away from her countryman, limbs flailing in the air.

Daria held a hand out and helped Rainier to his feet. "We need to-" The rushing of tile grinding against tile cut her off; and he was gone.

Surrounding him was a relatively small dome of the ground, completely cutting him off from the outside world, the vague sounds of him yelling and hitting his prison still audible, cracks forming across its form alongside liberal cannon shots, before its surface mended quickly. Her eyes widened as she stared at it.

"That's _really_ friggin' annoying." She muttered again, turning her attention to the recovering form of Bisha, and her partner still kneeling further a ways away, chest rising and falling hard as she huffed in exertion.

Daria's eyes widened as she put two-and-two together. "Well, that makes this a little easier." She whispered to herself as she shifted her target from Kazu; to the monk. And, to her vindication, without any interference from the shorter Vacuoan.

The diminutive Mistrali reached her fellow leader quickly, leaping up to strike at the vulnerable back of the monk, spinning as her ringblades circled around her, a spinning top of gleaming steel.

Bisha disappeared in a blur, reappearing a few feet to the side, perfectly unharmed, spinning as she found her feet, hookblades attached by said hooks, the dagger that made up the handle striking Daria across the chest, getting her to scowl.

"I'm surprised the Platina's not the leader," The monk quipped as she rearmed herself with both blades. "Being the better fighter and all."

Daria growled in irritation. "I'm getting real tired of people saying that." And with a battle cry, she dashed forwards, blades raised high at her opponent. Bisha side-stepped her again in another blur, the hook of one of her blades catching both ringblades, wrapping around them- and ripping them from the Mistrali's hands, sending them clattering away uselessly.

Bisha spun with her swipe, bringing a foot up and catching her opponent across the jaw with her heel, sending the shorter huntress tumbling away, falling to her knees, stunned.

The Vacuoan frowned as she grabbed hold of both hook blades, spinning them skillfully as she marched forwards to finish off the Vale leader, distinctly aware of the deep orange aura bar of Daria high above. As she reached her opponent, though-

The diminutive Mistrali leapt to her feet, swinging Kazu's hammer hard, colliding perfectly with Bisha's face. A solid 'boom' of an explosion sounded out across the battlefield, the monk's head now covered in a solid block of ice, face stuck in a gasp of surprise. The leader of BLDD went flying far away from the battlefield from the blow, tumbling closer and closer to the lava field-

And then fell in.

* * *

Oracle shot to her feet, fist pumping. "Atta girl!"

Nash also leapt to attention, hopping up and down as he clapped his hands above his head. "AAAAH, THAT WAS SO COOOL!"

"Don't make Daria mad, apparently." Blake muttered.

"C'mon, we all figured that out after the dance fiasco." Yang shot back, elbowing her partner pointedly.

Lance grinned. "This is my moment! EVERYONE _! WITH ME! 'HEEEY, DARIA-A- HOO- HA- I WANNA KNOOOW, IF YOU'LL BE MY GIRL_!'"

He repeated the line and, like clockwork, the chant was taken up by the Vale section, the song echoing across the walls of Amity Colosseum raucously.

Nora watched Lance from the corner of her eye. " _HEEEEY, DAAA-MMM, I MMMM, MMM, WILL YOU, MM, MM, MM_!"

She caught Ren's gaze and shook her head, mouthing: ' _I have no idea what we're saying._ '

He shook his head back. "You're something else."

Down at the end of the friends' row, Shinai watched his fellow leader with appraising purple eyes, nodding in approval.

"Well played."

* * *

" _Oof! And with her teammate's own weapon, Bisha Roman has been eliminated! Can we get someone to get out there and get her out of there? While she still has aura left_?" Oobleck called out.

Daria huffed as she dropped the hammer, strength sapped from her, turning seething eyes towards Kazu's direction.

The shorter of the BLDD duo dropped her guard in shock, rising to her feet with wide eyes. "That's pretty ballsy, girl!" She barked as she took off towards her opponent; completely ignorant of the small hole exploding out from Rainier's prison, charging off towards the shortest competitor on the field.

As she passed the dome though, a hand shot out, grabbing her by the collar, and pulled her back towards the prison, head slamming into the tile. She stumbled away, eyes going blurry from the blow. There was a moment of silence before cannon-shot after cannon-shot filled the arena, Rainier bodily breaking down the wall of the dome, stumbling out with a _very_ disapproving face.

Daria dragged herself forwards, sucking in an exhausted breath, joining her friend next to their final opponent.

"Would you like the-" The faunus began.

"Just set her up." His leader grumbled back as they reached her. Rainier bowed slightly, swiping low with a kick, tripping Kazu off of her feet, before kicking again, sending her soaring into the air with the aid of a cannon-shot.

The short leader of DRGN stepped towards him, inclining her head. "Up."

"As you say, _your Grace_." He mumbled as he cupped his hands together, letting her plant her boot into it. He thrust her upwards, both huntsmen jumping, himself using the aid of his cannon to send Daria high into the air, meeting Kazu as she began to free fall.

The Mistrali said nothing as she wrapped her arms around the Vacuoan, frowning disapprovingly as they began to pick up speed, racing towards the ground before-

Crunch.

* * *

"You good, man?" Lance asked, turning to his Vacuoan friend with a frown.

Rainier chuckled. "I just… I suppose, _aided_ in a duo's round victory. I'm quite better than alright."

The friends stopped, the blonde staring at him with narrowed eyes. "Don't sell me that gaaarbage, dude. You looked… sloppy's a bad term, but, yeah, sloppy out there."

"Moi?" The faunus asked with a dramatic gasp. "Sloppy? I should have your tongue removed, good sir."

"You know what I mean, man, don't play games with me. I'm good at a lot of things; your little… word puzzle-riddle-things I never got a handle of. And those bags under your eyes? You been staying up way too late?"

"Perhaps. What? Are you going to call my mother and complain? You could, very well, tell Daria; that would achieve a similar result, I'd imagine."

"Okay, first off, that's funny as hell. Secondly; you. Staying up. You're the biggest morning person I know."

"Yes, well, I don't have much time to do things during the day. What, with the tournament and all. In case you have forgotten."

Lance began to walk around his friend, chin held in his hand as he assessed the tired Vacuoan. "…Bags under the eyes, slouched form, messier than usual hair. Defensive responses to my questions and avoiding answering… what are you up to, wolf?"

Rainier raised his chin high, frowning. "I don't believe it is any of your business."

"Dude. C'mon. It's me. Lance. Everyone's friend."

They locked gazes for a long moment- before the faunus sighed. "Remember months ago? Our little competitions?"

"To see who could catch whatever girl we thought was cute at the time, _gods_ , those were good days. Simpler days."

"…Right. What was the one girl that we never- _never-_ went after? One of the few on the 'no-flirt-list'?"

Lance frowned. "There was Pyrrha, Belladonna during the whole White Fang thing, and-" His eyes widened. "Holy- seriously? Oh my gods. Oh my gods! I get it! Sir, I've cracked the case!"

"Yes, congratulations, now keep your voice down."

The blonde swordsman leaned forwards, blue eyes filled with concern. "Seriously though? _Schnee_? You know that people call her 'Ice Queen' for a reason, right? She's, like, the polar opposite of you."

"Does it matter?"

"Only if- _oh man._ You've got it bad, don't you?"

Rainier rolled his eyes, beginning to walk forwards again. "Apparently all of my friends can read me like a book, who knew?"

"Dude, I'm-" Lance sighed. "I'm gonna be straight with you; this is a bad pairing."

"Oh? Truly? How do you think?"

"She's a Schnee, man. You're Rainier; lovable, charming Rainier. Everyone in this friggin' school likes you- people from _other_ schools like you! It's cause you're warm and huggable, like a shredded teddy bear. She's the type of girl to domineer a relationship. She's gonna use you, dude, and by the time all's said and done, you're gonna hate each other."

Rainier stopped again, face dark. " _Don't_."

"I'm being honest with you- as your bro. Just my two cents. You'll do whatever you want to do. Just be careful with her, aight? I don't wanna come back next year only for you to be heartbroken. Kay?"

"I…" The faunus sighed. "I appreciate the concern."

"No problem. So, what exactly is keeping you up late at night, though? I doubt you snagged her yet and are enjoying all the perks, otherwise Oracle would've already found out and told at _least_ two of the four schools about you guys dating."

"I… it's a secret. And, on that; you will not tell Oracle."

"Of course not-"

Rainier grabbed the swordsman's collar, eyes warning. "Swear on your sword; you will not. Tell. Oracle. A _word._ Of this conversation. Am I understood?"

"Man, hands off the bread and butter. Yeah, I swear on my sword. Not a peep."

"Good," The faunus let his friend's jacket go, smoothing it over. "Now then; shall we go meet back up with the others before it gets late enough to run into Shinai?"

"Oh my gods, you figured that out too?"

* * *

Oracle stepped forwards, coming up alongside Shinai, leaning against the railing as they stared up at the shattered moon. She turned to him, face discerning. "You ready for this, captain?"

"We've trained. We've coordinated. We're ready."

"Ulysses is feelin' pretty confident about it, if that helps at all. But you… look a little thrown off. What's up?"

He was silent for a moment, not turning purple eyes to his partner. "…What's wrong with Rainier?"

"Man, I love that cinnamon bun, but it's not all about him, hon."

"No, but _this_ is concerning. He's running himself into the ground. He could have bested Bisha, with how fast he is now. But… he made mistakes. Sloppy ones. He's losing… something."

"I don' know, hon. We've never been super tight. Could just be that ol' Vacuoan pride comin' in during a tournament."

"Maybe. Maybe."

A grin split her face. "Y'know, when we got here, I thought you were the biggest douche. Hot, yeah, but such a douchebag. I thought you didn' care about any of us, about the school. Just here to get some sort of degree before runnin' off back to your temple. But here you are; concerned about someone from a different team, from a different kingdom. You're a good kid, captain."

Shinai stared off in the distance with a distant gaze of his own. "…You're not wrong. I wasn't here to make friends. I was here to finish my four years before heading back to my temple. It's one of the last steps to qualify for Grandmaster status."

"And… you wanted to take over for Shi En."

"I wanted to take over for Shi En. Do his name honor. But… I suppose things change."

She turned to him completely, face falling in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"…I'm not sure. I do know that the only thing I'm focused on is these next four years."

A smile claimed her face anew. "…Thanks, Shinai."

"No. Thank you."

* * *

 **A/N: Aaaahh, quick author's note, perfect ending, I hate to mess it up, sorry!**

 **Mazel tov! Cheers! Felicitations! Gratulation! A** _ **hundred thousand words**_ **\- *party popper, that little party whistle tube thing, kazoo, etc, etc***

 **Thanks for stickin' around, guys.**

 **Eight more chapters till everything falls.**

 **Have fun!**

 **Cheers,  
Infernokota**


	22. Chapter 6: One Last Breath

**Chapter 6: One Last Breath**

* * *

Daria stared at the wall, face a mask of careful blankness, hands gripping and ungripping the bouquet of flowers anxiously as she sat.

Waiting.

Oh so patiently.

The seconds seemed to stretch into minutes, minutes into hours, a clock frustratingly ticking away above her, the fluorescent lights buzzing away audibly, bathing the white walled and tiled building brightly.

Then there was the clicking of heels, and a smiling nurse coming back down the hallway. "You're good to go see him."

The leader of DRGN shot to her feet, offering a small smile back as she followed the nurse back down the way she had come, traversing the long hallways with practiced ease. The duo came to a stop outside a door, just like any other in the hospital. The nurse squeezed Daria's shoulder. "Go on in."

"Thank you." The short huntress managed to croak dryly, swallowing hard as she opened the door- and stepped into the room.

She was immediately greeted by a persistent beeping sound, the whir of machines, and the quiet sounds of fighting emanating from the flat screen TV adorning one wall. Across the room from it, lying dubiously comfortably;

Was Sise Tsuki.

The bright eyed huntsman slowly looked over as she entered the room, a thin smile crossing his fair face as he struggled to sit up.

"Daria Copper," He mused, voice weak. "Welcome to my abode."

The breath she had been holding rushed from her, the tension flooding from her body as she strode into the room. "…How are you?"

He let out a cough-riddled chuckle, looking around. "Just… hanging out. Waiting."

Her eyes crossed the room to the table under the large window, curtains thrown open; the table-top was laden with flowers, opened notes and letters, and several boxes of chocolates.

"Want me to just…" She began, uncertainly, pointing at it. He smiled and nodded quietly, watching her as she placed her gift down intently.

"…How'd you hear I like daturas?" He asked, inclining his head.

"I…" She began uncertainly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Asked Ozpin."

"Heh. Not everyday people ask him about flowers."

They shared a quiet chuckle as she leaned against the wall, eyes turning up to the TV. The screen blared out with live-footage of the Tournament; at the moment, the TV was showing the rapidly closing moments of a doubles' fight; Russel Thrush and Sky Lark of Team CRDL grasping onto a huge boulder, screaming in terror as it raised into the air, several swords piercing it, barely perceptible strings leading back to a ginger-haired huntress, smiling giddily as she lifted her arms in conjunction with the boulder-

And then brought them back down, smashing the two Vale huntsmen underneath it, the rock itself shattering with the impact.

" _Russel Thrush and Sky Lark have been eliminated!"_ Oobleck called out. " _And victory goes to Penny and Ciel of Atlas!"_

The two huntsmen watched the screen for a moment, as Penny placed her fist into her outstretched palm, bowing respectfully for her fallen opponents, chipperly calling out something inaudible.

"…It wasn't your fault." Sise finally said, breaking the silence of the room.

Daria faltered, slowly turning back to him. "…But it was."

"No. It was an unwinnable situation from the outset. If I knew that it was Cerberus out there, I never would have brought anyone with me."

"But that's not the point! We were supposed to be proving our worth as huntsmen, and we failed. Just like you said. If you didn't have to spend so much time using your Semblance on us, you might have had more energy-"

"Copper."

"-And could have defended yourself better. If we weren't so friggin' useless against them, you wouldn't have had to worry about us as well-"

"Copper."

"-And if I wasn't such a waste of a leader, we-"

" _Copper_. You're _seventeen_ ," He cut in, firmly. "You've been attending Beacon for a _year_. Neither I nor Ozpin would have put fourth-year students in that situation. It's. Not. Your. Fault," He broke down into a coughing fit, taking a long drink of water before turning stern blue-green eyes back to her. "It's not anyone's fault. Look at Team RWBY; they crashed a train full of grimm and White Fang through a mountain and led them all to Vale. That wasn't their fault. Team SOUL's leader almost died to this golden criminal. That… wasn't… his… fault. Out there; there's no control, no template. Things happen outside your control. As a leader, you have to learn how to deal with those things as they happen."

She watched him for a long moment, before nodding slightly. "…Thanks, Sise."

"I was your veteran- I suppose I still am. It's my job."

"…Alright. I think I'm gonna head out. RWBY's fight's coming up here in a bit and I-"

"Don't worry about me. Go. Enjoy the tournament. I'll… at least make it until after its over."

Her eyes widened. "Wha-"

"Bad joke. I'm sorry. I never got the hang of it," He chuckled, waving her off. "And… Copper. You guys didn't fail the test."

She continued to watch him with a shocked gaze. "I…"

" _Go_." He repeated, voice betraying his good humor.

Daria smiled. "See you later, Tsuki."

"Of course, Copper."

* * *

Rainier looked up at his leader as she came rushing through the stands, a frown crossing his face. "Just in time! Barely!"

"Oh shut it. I was doing something important."

Lance leaned forwards, leaning against the seat in front of him. "Uh huh? What's his name?"

"Lance!" Oracle hissed, hitting his shoulder.

"Ow! It was a joke! It- it's been _six months_ , you all know what I'm about!"

Ruby was watching her sister and Weiss on the ground with a frown, the duo sizing up their Atlesian opponents in confusion. "Uh, guys?"

"Yuh huh?" Nash called back over.

"Not you- Lance?"

The blonde's eyes shot back over to the young leader of RWBY. "You rang, madam?"

"You like to watch fighting a lot, right?"

"Well, I mean… yeah?"

"What do you think about _those guys_."

His attention turned to the Atlesians down on the floor. "Holy incestual gods. Two for two!"

The huntsmen in question stared down the Vale representatives- the front runner, a tall, lithe, dark-skinned boy dressed in a white shirt, black and blue trilby hat, black vest, pants and shoes, blue tie left undone around his shoulders, was glaring over the top of his sunglasses at Weiss, a scowl planted on his face. The other Atlesian was a smaller girl, skin pale and hair ginger, streaked with blue and pulled into four pigtails, a matching ginger cat's tail waving out from behind her. She was dressed in a none-too concealing blue cropped tank top, white collar, and short pink skirt, her belt buckle a gleaming golden smiley face. Her hands were clad in white bracers, clutching a pair of glowing nunchaku. Cladding her feet, however, were long white boots, stilted on top of bright red rollerblades.

The faunus and Yang were bickering at the moment-

"Hey, where'd you get your hair extensions?" She called over, head cocked to the side.

"This is just my normal hair." Yang called back, tone both offended and confused.

"Ooh, really?"

"Yeah!" The blonde huntress spat, deciding on offended. "Is that a-"

"You should try rollerblading sometime! It's super fun!" The cat faunus began to spin in place, smiling coyly at her opponent. "It'd probably take you a while though, since you're so… you know… top heavy."

Yang looked down at her body in shock, before bringing furious eyes back up to the Atlesian. " _Excuse me?!"_

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Oh, here we go."

Oracle shook her head. "She never could get over body insults. Her one chirping weakness. Shame."

The fields behind the combatants opened up- a familiar volcanic area, a flat desert, a rocky platform filled with steaming geysers, and a collection of destroyed buildings.

" _Yang and Weiss of Beacon versus Flynt and Neon of Atlas! Three! Two! One! Begin_!"

The moment the last word left Port's lips, Flynt raised a trumpet to his lips, loosing a soundwave that caught both huntresses, sending them skidding backwards, the Schnee heiress stopping only as a glyph formed under her feet, jerking to a standstill, even as Neon rushed past her in a blur of rainbow, chasing Yang into the city ruins.

Weiss burst forward over a trail of black glyphs, excess speed carrying her forwards at the musician as he blew another blast of soundwaves- then stopped, side stepping her and planting a boot into her back, sending her careening into the volcanic region.

Neon continued to harass Yang, quickly dashing passed the blonde, skillfully dodging each blast from the Vale huntress' Ember Celica gauntlets, whispering a mantra under her breath as she leapt onto railings, kicked off of chunks of rubble, riding circles around her opponent, cracking her nunchaku like glowsticks, a blue glow emanating from them as she passed the RWBY representative again, the blonde's leg encasing in a thick block of ice.

"Pfft. Now you're bottom heavy too!" The faunus called out with a giggle, giving her rear a smack for good measure.

Yang growled as she stomped her foot down, shattering the ice- only for her arm to get encased, Neon riding away before coming back towards her with immense speed, kicking her opponent back into a wall, a web of cracks spreading across it.

"You should cool off! Get it? Because you're angry."

Not even the pun raised Yang's spirits, a snarl crossing her face as she slammed her fist into the wall, shattering both the ice and the wall itself.

Across the battlefield, Weiss and Flynt were locked into a standstill- Myrtenaster raised, a gust of wind shooting from it, while the musician blew his trumpet back at the blast. All of a sudden, she lifted her free hand, dozens of glyphs sprouting around them, the heiress dashing from her spot to one, before beginning to jump between them with ridiculous speed, slashing at Flynt as she passed.

* * *

Lance reached over, punching Rainier's shoulder. "Hey, look! That's your thing! See, she does pay attention to you."

The faunus very, _very_ slowly turned hard yellow eyes to his friend, cocking his head to the side as he stared at the swordsman.

"Pfft. You're fun."

Oracle watched the interaction for a moment, shifting her sunglasses down to the tip of her nose with a confused frown. "I'm sorry, what?"

* * *

Then- another Flynt appeared next to the first, dressed in purple. Then a second, in orange. Then a fourth in green. They raised their trumpets in unison, blasting the Atlesian heiress out of the air to crash against the ground.

* * *

The Flynts grinned and tipped their hats to the audience, a round of cheers pouring down towards them, their eyes shooting to the scoreboard, and the two urgent, yellow-orange bars of their opponents. They stepped forwards, merging into the original as he glared down at Weiss.

Over in the buildings, Neon continued to dash around and swipe at Yang, grinning broadly- then slowly stopped, the blonde's hair glowing, eyes now a brilliant red as she seethed in fury.

"Ooh! Flashy eyes! Y'know, you're actually kinda pretty when you're angry."

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Yang roared back as she charged forwards, shotgun blasts sending her flying through the air.

* * *

Weiss scrambled forwards, hand gripping her rapier tightly- then froze as a shoe stepped onto the thin blade.

" _Get back here!"_ Yang screamed as she chased her opponent back out into the open, Neon just a beat ahead of her, lazily circling the blonde.

"I wasn't trying to say that you should go on a diet- I was saying you really need to go on a diet!"

"THAT'S IT!"

Neon stopped, staring dead into the eyes of her opponent and once more, for good measure: "You're fat."

Flynt shrugged and turned away from the heiress, his duplicates reappearing, all four lifting their trumpets at Yang, preparing to send a blast of sound at her.

And then Weiss leapt from the ground, tackling the original Flynt- right into a quickly rising pillar of lava, both huntsmen disappearing into it.

* * *

Ruby, Blake, and Rainier shot to their feet, leaning against the guard rail with three sets of wide eyes. " _WEISS_!" They screamed in near unison. The others leaned forwards in their seats, watching in concern.

* * *

" _What_?!" Yang barked as both she and Neon turned to their partners.

"It seems we have a double knockout on our hands!" Port called out.

"In fact, it looks like Miss Schnee's aura has been completely depleted! She sacrificed herself to take out Flynt! W-wait a minute! What is this?!" Oobleck continued, voice rising in awe.

As Flynt stumbled back to his feet, singed and covered in ash, wobbling in place; but still in the fight.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Flynt Coal remains standing!"

"You did it!" Neon fist pumped. "Don't worry 'bout her, she's easy! But kinda annoying."

Yang's face reached a new level of furious, her fists clenching audibly, the very ground trembling around her. She let out a scream of rage, sending out a flurry of shots at her opponents, dashing towards them.

Neon rushed to meet her, a blast of sound covering both girls, Yang quickly shooting around her to keep stationary, while also struggling to land a hit on her opponent. Failing that, she fired her gauntlets forwards, taking her out of the soundwaves. The shots narrowly missed Flynt, who shifted his blast, directing Neon away from the blonde huntress- the faunus, though, was shakily keeping her balance, rollerblades rolling across a copious amount of debris.

The final RWBY member left standing dashed forwards, around Neon, directly at Flynt, the musician bringing his copies back out to blast at her four-fold- Yang, though, shot both gauntlets behind her, giving her enough force to cut through the soundwaves-

Reaching the Atlesian leader, clapping a hand over his trumpet's mouth. There was a moment of silence before his weapon backfired, the sound coming back out to crash into his mouth, sending him flying backwards, his copies absorbing into him as he hit the ground hard.

" _Sour note for Flynt Coal, who has been eliminated_!"

Yang turned furious eyes back her final opponent's direction, to where Neon was shakily trying to navigate the geyser field.

"Never miss a beat, never miss a beat, never miss a-" The faunus repeated loudly- right before her wheels caught a raised crack in the ground. "…Beat?"

She went flying, tumbling across the ground, watching helplessly as Yang reached her. The blonde smirked viciously; and fired off a single shot, slamming her into a roaring geyser with an explosion of sparks and smoke.

"Neon Katt has been eliminated! Team RWBY are your winners!"

Yang didn't waste any time, dashing back across the battlefield towards Weiss, Ruby and Blake hopping the railing to go join her, the trio gathering around their fallen teammate; covered in ash and unable to rise to her feet, breaking out into a coughing fit, smoke flying from her mouth.

Daria leaned towards Rainier. "You not gonna go see if she's okay?"

The faunus watched the girls for a moment, before hesitantly shaking his head, saying nothing else.

She watched him, coy look fading to one of concern, but she bit her tongue, turning back towards the battlefield, Neon and Flynt approaching their opponents with beaming, satisfied grins.

* * *

The RB and Y of Team RWBY returned to their seats, faces looks of relief.

Rainier immediately leaned towards them, hands gripped together, eyebrows furrowed. "Weiss, is she-"

Ruby shrugged, head falling as the tension drained from her. A small smile played at her face. "She's okay. Needs a bath. I don't think she'll be singing for a while, though."

"I guess you could say she's a little… toasty." Yang managed, her own smile weak.

Blake nudged her partner. "Hey. She would appreciate that."

"Where's-" Ruby began, looking around with a frown.

Oracle kicked her feet up, chewing on a toothpick as she grinned at the battlefield. "'Boutta make a statement."

Ulysses and Shinai stood alone on the platform far below, silently waiting for their opponents to arrive.

"They're just... waiting? I mean, they look cool at least."

Lance shrugged. "Courtesy of moi. Couldn't convince them to grin at their opponents as they walked up, so this is most psychological thing they'd let me convince them into doing."

"Also," The fellow blonde swordsman cut in, turning in shock to his friend. "When does _Lance Zaffre_ give up a chance to fight in front of his adoring fans?"

"Oh, you know. Character development."

"That's so… I'm trying to find something nice to say. I really am."

Lance nodded as he turned sky blue eyes to his remaining teammate, grinning with a wink. "You and me both, bud. You and me both."

* * *

"You remember the plan?" Shinai asked quietly.

Ulysses grunted, but nodded, cracking his knuckles together.

"Good."

The hulking huntsman cracked a small, small smirk as he looked down to his leader. "I'm not about to quit on you now."

The samurai nodded, hand resting on his katana's handle. "Good to know. Remember- level head. Do not lose it."

"Sure. Like it's that easy."

"As long as we're understood."

They shot to attention as Team SNOW arrived.

The Atlesians stood resolutely, marching forwards towards the center platform stiffly. The frontrunner was a shorter man, lithe in build, fair skinned with sandy blonde hair windswept on his head, matching blonde stubble lining his jawline. Tired dark eyes stared at his opponents, face not impressed. Held in his hand was a brilliant silver longsword, blade and guard heavily engraved with words and swirling designs, the guard coming up in a dragon's head where it met the double-edged sword.

His partner was even shorter, skin snow-white, long hair a dark grey, falling down her back loosely, wide, bright purple eyes staring at her opponents in good humor. Strapped to her back was a large mechanical crossbow, small lights glowing white on its form. She smiled at her opponents and offered a small wave.

* * *

Lance leaned back in his seat, shaking his head and chuckling.

"And she's not even here to see it." Ren said, sighing.

"Finally…" Nora whispered, before shooting to her feet, one leg propped up on the seat in front of her- much to the ire of its occupant. "A! PROPER! _ATLAS TEAM!"_

"Why do _you_ care?" Ruby asked with a frown.

The ginger huntress turned a menacing grin her friend's way. " _Because I've always wanted to see how snobby people's legs_ break _!"_

The assorted teams went silent for a moment.

"Okay, I'm sorry, _I'm_ the scary one?!" Nash called out, voice filled with indignation.

Rainier ruffled the boy's hair. "It's alright. It's a fair, and poignant, question."

"Aren't _you_ a snob, technically?" Oracle asked, tipping her sunglasses down.

"We _have_ been calling you 'Prince' behind your back." Yang added.

"Ah, yes. I suppose you're right. But, counter-point; I'm the snob who breaks _other_ people's legs."

"Fair enough."

* * *

The leader of the Atlesians looked Ulysses and Shinai up and down. "…You must be Kyani." He asked dryly.

The samurai bowed. "You have me at a disadvantage."

"Give 'em a second," The swordsman muttered. "They'll call it out. Big guy got any kind words?"

"Words are cheap." Ulysses growled.

"Yeah, that's fair."

The quartet stood silently for a moment, before the Atlesian sighed. "Alright, well. Good luck."

"You as well."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't need it. Cheers."

Then he went very quiet, turning to his partner and whispering in her ear, getting sporadic nods in response.

The Vale huntsmen gathered up themselves, Shinai sighing. "Swordsman and crossbow. Long and short ranged. Focus on him, hold his attention. I'll try and flank them. Separate them, and she'll go down fast."

Ulysses grunted in agreement as the billboards began to shift, slowing down the corresponding symbols. The areas outside the center platform opened up: a large cliff overlooking a small replication of the sea; a small, empty, desert-based town; a flat patch of plains, dark clouds rolling overhead; and a surprisingly narrow crevice, bordered by two hulking stone mountains.

"Grey and Aurora of Atlas versus Shinai and Ulysses of Beacon! 3! 2! 1! Begin!"

Shinai let out a command for his partner to charge; and said nothing, mouth moving silently. His face fell in shock, turning to Ulysses, asking a silent question.

The hulking huntsman frowned, making an attempt to talk himself, to similar failure, the beginning of a string of curses easily readable on his lips, before Shinai's eyes widened, dodging backwards.

Grey was to their side- not quickly, but deathly silent, dark eyes still thoroughly unimpressed as he spun, cleaving his sword across Ulysses' chest and narrowly missing the samurai's.

The largest huntsman on the field grunted- quietly, of course- as he stumbled backwards, eyes growing bright in fury as he turned his dark gaze the Atlesian's way. He wasn't given a chance to return the attack though, a brilliant spear of green energy flying through the air, catching him squarely in the side of the face and sending him tumbling away, rolling across the ground to where the cliff began to rise.

Shinai grit his teeth together, drawing Shi En quickly in a vicious slash, catching the slower Grey across the abdomen, stepping forwards and kicking him flush across the face, the Atlesian leader stumbling back.

He made to push his advantage, but stopped, swiveling away as another flash of green entered his vision, nearly avoiding Aurora's shot, purple eyes snapping back and forth between both of his opponents, distinctly aware of Ulysses picking himself up to his feet across the battlefield, his mind working in overdrive to piece together a new plan.

* * *

The crowd went quiet, a murmur of confusion spilling across the bystanders as they scratched their heads at the disturbingly quiet battle going on beneath them.

"This is so-" Lance began.

"Bizarre." Yang finished.

"Sure, that's what I was going to say."

Rainier frowned, leaning forwards. " _SHINAI! ULYSSES_!"

No response from either huntsman.

"Yep, definitely bizarre." Ruby agreed with a nod, sitting back with a frown.

"Maybe…" Blake mused. "One of their semblances creates a… space of silence?"

Daria's eyes widened. "And Shinai can't call out orders."

"Did they just… did they just outplay Shinai Kyani?" Jaune asked in equal shock.

"I… I think they did."

"I'm almost impressed."

Nora snored loudly at the other end of the row, already having lost interest in the fight, leaning on Ren's shoulder as she slept heavily.

The ninja shrugged. "She has a point."

"Awesome," Lance muttered. "If we lose in the most boring fight of the tournament, I swear on my left nu-"

"Lance," Oracle chided, hands over a confused Nash's ears. "Children."

"Oh whatever, we're cool."

* * *

Ulysses stared at the grassy ground beneath his hands, huffing in a mix of pain and fury, working his jaw side to side. Slowly, he began to tremble, body shaking, and he let out a silent, furious roar, shooting to his feet and charging back into the battle.

Shinai peered over the shoulder of Grey at the charging form of his partner, putting together a quick, ramshackle plan. He dashed forwards, into the Atlesian's personal space, latching out quickly and grabbing his shoulder, spinning them both away, so that he was between the samurai and the sharpshooter across the battlefield.

And so that Grey caught a quick glimpse of Ulysses barreling forwards, just before the charging huntsman slammed into both swordsman, huge hands grabbing onto the Atlesian's head as he continued to roar forwards, Shinai left tumbling away.

Ulysses skid to a stop, leaping into the air, preparing to slam his opponent into the tile hard, only to spin away as one of Aurora's shots buried itself into his abdomen, losing his grip as he and his opponent slammed into the ground stiffly.

Grey recovered first, shooting to his feet, and running a hand across his blade- flames sprung up over its surface, licking up at the air greedily as he slashed down at Ulysses. The giant caught the blade in his free hand with a snarl, the flames eating away his aura. He stared up at his opponent, eyes beginning to pool over with black as he shot to his feet. He pointed with his Avenger hand at Aurora, the girl straightening up from her kneeling position, blinking owlishly.

Ulysses didn't move though, still clutching the blade tightly.

Poof.

Shinai struck out with a quick kick, catching the sharpshooter in the back of her head, the girl rolling forwards, scrambling to her feet in shock as she stared down the stony-expressioned samurai, face falling in horror as his lit up in understanding;

The moment he hit her, sound had resumed in the battlefield, for a brief moment before going ear-ringingly silent again.

He twirled his blade expertly, looking passed her at the other combatants for a moment, before nodding, striding towards her.

Grey matched Ulysses' snarl with one of his own, leaping up and burying a foot into the larger huntsman's abs, getting him to double over with a silent grunt. The Atlesian ripped his sword free from his opponent's grip, striking it across Ulysses' face, the black-clad huntsman twirling away.

The leader of SNOW turned on his heel to the slightly terrified expression of his partner- and began to sign with his free hand. She tried to respond with her own signs, cutting herself off as Shinai dashed forwards to meet her, narrowly missing as she scrambled away, turning her attention back to her own fight.

* * *

Grey growled and turned back to Ulysses, twirling his blade as the seething giant turned back to him, Avenger falling to the ground soundlessly. Smoke curled off of his form as he turned his head to the side, neck popping dissatisfyingly quiet. He let out a silent roar and swung the flail over his head, missing as his opponent dashed to the side, before swooping in, swiping his flaming blade across his opponent's form twice, dodging back out.

Ulysses snorted and swung Avenger over his head again, the swordsman again dodging away, then in; right into the waiting hand of the rapidly rampaging huntsman. Ulysses grinned in satisfaction, turning on his heel and hurling the Atlesian leader away, storming after him as his body tumbled towards the opening of the crevice, white armor dirtying with the loose dirt as he pushed himself to his feet.

* * *

Aurora let out silent yelps of surprise as Shinai continued to rush her, katana slashing in measured swings at her, a surprising amount of them missing as she seemed to be able to swivel away from the blows easily with her small form, a good foot-plus shorter than the samurai. She ducked low, making to dash around him, under his arm as he swung low, getting a knee to the chin for her trouble.

The sharpshooter stumbled backwards, hand going to her face in pain, grip loosening on her crossbow. Shinai didn't let up, dashing towards her and feinting with a slash, catching her in the face with his boot as she moved to dodge again. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, reappearing above her, looking to fall and catch her with a downwards swing- only to disappear again, the four clouds of smoke filling her vision as she wheeled around in terror.

His foot struck out, taking her legs out from under her, slashing down and catching her across the throat with his blade, the sound returning to the arena.

The crowd burst out into applause, tuning back into the fight.

Ulysses took a deep breath in as he reached Grey, savoring the sound- and let out a furious roar charging forwards with Avenger swinging out around him, slamming down in to his opponent's midsection, spikes jabbing into the leader's flesh as he let out a yell of pain.

The flail quickly removed itself, the rampaging member of Team SOUL swinging it around himself skillfully, more and more chain spilling from his sleeve, before he brought the entire length of his flail soaring down, narrowly missing as Grey scrambled away and to his feet, looking passed his opponent in concern.

"Aurora!" He barked, trying to pick her form out in the thick cloud of smoke on the center platform. His concern was to no avail though, a massive fist catching him across the jaw, the force sending him flying away, crashing into one of the mountain's forming the crevice.

Ulysses didn't let up, charging forwards with a roar, eyes pooled over completely black, smoke rising from his body like a bonfire. Grey let out a hiss as he recovered, bringing his blade up to defend himself; only for his larger opponent to just bodily slam into him, snatching him up in a bear hug as they entered the small opening. The rampaging huntsman held his opponent out, slamming him into one wall- then the other, the sound echoing out across the battlefield as the very mountains themselves cracked under the blow. Ulysses tossed Grey up in the air, reaching up and grabbing an ankle, then snatched him back down, smashing him into the dirt floor with a heavy thud.

He huffed in unrestrained fury as he stared at his opponent- then to the cracked walls beside him- then up above, to where the tops of the tall mountains stood. Mind made, he lashed out, slamming a fist into one of the walls, greeted with an impressively large hole. With a snort he stalked backwards, to the entrance of the crevice; and began to slam his hands into the corner of the entrance, ripping away huge chunks of stone with each swing, the crowd rising to a fever pitch as they put two and two together, spider-webs of cracks rising up through the formerly packed rock and stone from his onslaught.

Satisfied, he put his hands into one of the larger holes he'd made; and roared, ripping his hands toward the entrance. That was all it took. A large portion began crumble, crashing down in huge boulders to the rising form of Grey, burying him under the rubble. As the stripped-away rocks slammed into the opposing wall, it began to shatter as well, sending more debris falling to smother the form of the Atlesian leader.

"Grey has been effectively eliminated from the fight!" Port called out, voice a touch too proud.

"Yes, Professor- effectively. He is still in this nonetheless!"

Ulysses didn't react, storming back towards his partner and the sharpshooter, snarling.

* * *

The gathered members of SOUL, DRGN, RWBY, and JNPR stared at the battlefield in stunned silence.

"…Holy shit." Lance muttered.

"What the hell?!" Oracle barked. "What in the hell?!"

"But _nooo_ , everyone is _furious_ with the faunus for getting _'too fast'!"_ Rainier grumbled quietly.

"Shut up, dude," Daria muttered. "That was singlehandedly the most badass thing I think I've ever seen. And Yang fury-punched her way to victory."

"No, yeah, Ulysses can have this one. I think I'll pass on that one-upmanship fight." The blonde fighter shot back.

"…You know," Jaune added thoughtfully. "You guys ever wonder what a Ulysses-Yang fight would be like?"

"Oh my gods."

"Can you imagine?"

"Duuude."

"They both have to go to the finals round now, right?"

"Don't tease us like that."

"I don't get it." Nash frowned.

Rainier began to reach a hand over to ruffle his hair. "I'll tell- actually, that's not a bad one. You see; both of their semblances rely on them getting angry to fight, more or less."

"Oooh. Oooh! Oooh! That'd be so cool!"

"I mean…" Ruby muttered. "Yang'd win."

Yang said nothing, lilac eyes glowing bright for a long moment.

"You… okay?" Daria asked.

" _I need this_." She whispered back.

"I could drown a toddler right now." Gail muttered.

Lance spluttered, spitting his drink out onto the floor. "I'M SORRY, WHAT?"

She jerked to attention, eyes widening as her skin darkened in a deep blush. "DID… did I say… that…"

"Out loud, yeah!"

Nash frowned. "I don't get it."

Rainier nodded, ruffling his hair. "And _now_ I'll tell you when you're older."

"Mmkay."

* * *

Aurora's eyes widened with Port and Oobleck's announcement, scrambling away from the samurai, turning to where she had last seen her leader; and the pile of rubble laying between the mountains, the ominous form of Ulysses marching forwards, Avenger dragging across the ground behind him. She looked in terror between him and the samurai- and took off running towards him.

Shinai didn't totally react, watching her go in vague curiosity, leisurely following after her. "Don't do anything stupid." He whispered to himself, purple eyes beginning to fill with concern for the girl.

She took off at a dead sprint from her former opponent to the hulking huntsman across from her, his head slowly cocking to the side curiously, more chain spilling from his sleeve as he kept a steady pace. As she neared, he gripped the chain, swinging it out from around him, parallel with the ground, missing only as she rolled forwards under the chain, scrambling in a panic. She reached Ulysses; and twirled around him, continuing her rush towards her partner. He stopped as she passed him, craning his neck to the side twitchily-

Then turned on his heel, charging after her, roaring wildly as he went.

Aurora's eyes widened even further as she turned over her shoulder towards him, scrambling in terror up the pile of rubble, picking her way to the top, the much larger huntsman a frighteningly short few yards behind her as she reached the apex, searching for anything of use, purple eyes scanning its surface desperately.

Below, Ulysses preferred to simply tear his way up to her, throwing boulders away as he continued to ascend, smashing others with ridiculous ease, getting closer and closer. He dashed one last time towards her, hand outstretched towards her, almost nearing her-

Before a blur of silver and fire swung through the air, slashing at his hand. Aurora stared in a panic at him, slashing wildly, catching him across the face, getting him to lose his footing, tumbling back down the pile to the floor. He let out a growl of frustration, slamming a fist into the ground hard enough to send cracks through the dirt.

The sharpshooter stared at the hulking huntsman in pure fear, holding the silver weapon with both hands, its point trembling. Her eyes went from him to the samurai, more panic filling her eyes as she looked back and forth between the Vale huntsmen.

Shinai stopped, staring at the girl wielding her leader's sword like she'd never held a blade in her life, eyes blank with fear. He let out a quiet sigh, shaking his head, remorse claiming his face as he resumed his march, holding his blade to the side.

Ulysses shot back to his feet, glaring up at her with pools of black- but stepped backwards, letting chain fall from his sleeve. Then, with a sudden jerk of his arm, Avenger went flying through the air, slamming into the small Atlesian huntress, the impact sending her soaring through the crevice-

All the way out the other side, slamming into the ground outside with a thud, rolling across the ground.

"And… ahem," Port began, voice filled with unease. "Aurora has been eliminated."

Ulysses and Shinai stood for a moment, eyes turning to the pile of rubble, both unsure of how to deal with the situation.

They didn't need to.

There was a blinding flash of light, a supernova spilling out from the debris, encapsuling the entire entryway to the crevice. The explosion sent Ulysses flying, soaring through the air to slam into his leader, both huntsmen tumbling away, before climbing to their feet quickly.

Standing where the rubble had been, was Grey; his form covered in flames, looking absolutely incensed. His chest began to rise and fall, dark eyes almost black with rage, and curled his arms up, letting out a bellowing roar;

Flames exploded outwards from his body, spreading across the ground at immense speeds, scorching the earth, and then the tiles; even burning the grass in the other biomes, the floor littered with huge, flickering flames.

He charged forwards without warning, making a beeline towards his opponents in a rage, swiping low to scoop up his sword as he ran. He flicked it to the side, the blade extending several feet outwards with nearly solid flames, its width expanding as well as he continued to sprint unrelentingly.

Ulysses watched him come snorting in fury- but then closed his eyes, chest rising and falling in huffs of rampage, hand clenching and unclenching. And ever so slowly, his breathing slowed, calming to near normal. He opened his eyes, now their normal black orbs, the last of his smoke curling off his body disappearing into the sky.

"I'll take the fall for that one." He muttered- before punching Shinai bodily, his leader soaring to the side, through the flames as Grey reached the hulking huntsman.

Ulysses lifted his arms- uselessly, the great blade carving into his form as if a solid sword, another explosion going off as it made contact. The black-clad huntsman went tumbling off away, crashing through the flames, before coming to a stop, body motionless from the blow.

"Ulysses has heroically sacrificed himself!" Port called out. "It's up to Shinai and Grey now!"

The aforementioned Atlas leader's arms went limp, his blade flying from his grasp from the explosion, falling to his knees as he huffed, absolutely sapped for energy.

Poof.

Shinai was by his side in an instant, purple eyes filled with respect. "Well fought." He greeted; and brought his blade down onto the back of his opponent's neck.

"Grey has been eliminated! Team SOUL are! Your! Winners!" Port called out, righteously.

"May we have Professor Port investigated for bias?" Oobleck called out. "Anyone?"

* * *

"Who the hell gave you two the go-ahead for such a cinematic fight?!" Lance barked. "If I'd known, I totally would have fought!"

Ulysses grunted.

Shinai hummed.

"You two seriously need to learn to communicate."

Oracle leaned forwards from her spot behind their bench, throwing her arms over their shoulders. "Proud of you guys. That… was a weird fight, but you guys made the best of it. 'Specially you, Ul,"

Another grunt.

"Yeah, you know exactly what I'm talkin' about, pumpkin. You love us."

"Don't push it." He growled.

She grinned and rested her head against his.

"So that's everyone then." Ruby gasped.

Yang shared Oracle's grin. "You- gods, you're right! We're all in the finals."

Daria crossed her arms. "So who all is going?"

They went quiet.

"Well…" Pyrrha said, trailing off.

"To be fair…" Ruby continued.

"We could… all… potentially… end up fightin' each other." Oracle finished.

Lance shrugged, taking a seat next to his partner. "What's the big deal?"

"We all _really_ want to win this. Can't really show your cards to your opponents before you play 'em." Yang said.

"Sure thing. So do I. But I also give two more shits about you guys than I do about this friggin' tournie. We're sending the captain, right? We gotta send the captain."

Oracle was silent for a moment, before sighing. "…Yeah, I guess we are."

Shinai nodded. "If the team agrees on it."

Ulysses grunted his acquiescence.

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck. "Aw, what the heck. We're doin' Yang."

"Pyrrha."

"Pyrrha."

"Pyrrha."

"Um… me?"

Team JNPR said in unison, mirroring each others' expressions as said huntress pointed to herself in surprise.

All eyes turned to DRGN. Daria sighed, looking at her team, her eyes lingering on the blank face of Rainier. "I… I mean…"

"Rainier, right?" Lance asked.

"My man's the MVP of the tournament. Except for maybe me. But that's bias." Yang added.

Nash turned to Daria with a frown. "Why… wouldn't we send Rain?"

"It's…" She faltered. "Yeah. I guess we're sending Rain."

The faunus said nothing, leaning against the wall, face still a carefully blank mask.

"You good, bud?" Oracle asked, eyes shooting to meet Shinai's for a moment. "You look little… out of it."

He hummed- then turned on his heel, marching from the locker room without a word.

"I can never get a read on that guy." Nora said, head cocking to the side comically.

Lance watched him go with a much more serious frown- before turning hard blue eyes to Daria. "What's wrong."

"I-"

"Don't give me all that ' _ooh, I don't know what you mean_ '. And it's not his little lover. Something's going on, and you're being a poor sport and not telling us."

"It's…" She shook her head. "It's a personal matter, okay?"

"Yeah- wait, no. Not okay. Dude looked seriously upset. _You_ look seriously upset. Rain's one of the top guys in this place, and you didn't want to send him? Seriously? Or are you just gonna be gung-ho about it and not tell us."

"Hon," Oracle prodded gently. "We're all friends here. I'm pretty sure we're pretty much family by this point."

"D'aww…" Ruby muttered, momentarily distracted by the conversation.

The short leader of DRGN sighed again. "I… I can't tell you. Not because I don't want to, but… because I don't think he wants me to."

"Seriously?" Jaune asked. "What's Rain got going on that's that serious? He's always seemed like the water-under-the-bridge kinda guy."

That made Daria snort. "You'd think, huh?"

Shinai leaned forwards. "It's about the finals, isn't it?"

Her eyes turned to him, lingering on his face. "I… yes. It is. That's all I'm going to tell you guys, alright? If he wants to, he'll tell you after the finals. But I'm not gonna be the one to break that particular piece of heaping information. I'm… I'm gonna head back to our room. I'll talk with you guys later."

She turned and marched after her friend without another word, leaving the bewildered faces of her friends behind.

Oracle turned to Lance with a frown. "What did you mean 'his little lover'?"

"Aha… yeah… I'm gonna… just… not mention that under threat of bodily harm from the mentally unstable faunus dude."

"Man, y'all are all weird."

Nash watched his leader go with a pout- before turning that pout to Jaune and Pyrrha, who were standing far closer than they had been at the start of the conversation. "Wait, you guys had your doubles fight already?"

"I-" Jaune began. "You didn't… see it?"

Lance shared his short friend's frown. "No, yeah, we didn't hear anything about it."

"Seriously?!"

"No, yeah," Ruby added. "I didn't know it happened either."

" _Seriously_?!"

"Jaune," Pyrrha began gently. "You were the one who was supposed to tell them it was happening."

"I… oh. I guess I did forget about that."

"It happens to the best of us."

"Oh, don't you patronize me."

The friends broke down into playful bickering- with the exception of Shinai (and Ulysses and Gail, of course). The samurai was staring at the exit, an uncharacteristic frown crossing his face.

After a few moments, he turned to his doubles' partner. "I'll be back shortly."

He was greeted with a grunt as he rose to his feet, marching away- after Rainier.


	23. Chapter 7: Embers Light the Fuse

**Chapter 7: Embers Light the Fuse**

* * *

Rainier stared out at the skyline for a long few moments, leaning against the railing as he watched the sun begin to set over the horizon, bathing Beacon in a warm glow. His hands tapped out an obsessively familiar sequence of notes against the stone rail, bobbing his head in distant thought as he did so.

Far sooner than he would have liked, he swallowed hard, ducking his head. "You know, of all the people I would have expected to come after me, you're far from the first."

Shinai said nothing as he marched up alongside his friend, staring out at the setting sun.

The faunus sighed. "Why do you care?"

"What?" The samurai asked in genuine shock.

Rainier turned to him. "Why do you even care? We're hardly friends. We speak sparingly, we very rarely 'chill' and, yet, you keep coming back. Concerned. Why? It's no insult against your character, just… genuine curiosity."

Shinai stared at him for a very long few moments. "Why wouldn't I? We're not close. I understand that. But that doesn't mean I don't consider us friends. You don't like to share your emotions, not really. I get that. But that doesn't mean its not obvious to the rest of us."

"Oh? Is this about an imaginary crush-"

" _Rainier_ ," The samurai spat with a surprising amount of edge and vitriol. "I don't appreciate your games. You don't want to talk, that's fine. But don't insult either of our intelligences."

After a moment to recover from his shock, the Vacuoan let out a laugh- warm, but tinged with bitterness. "That is the most words I think I've ever heard you say, samurai. You've spent far too much time with Oracle and Lance, methinks."

Shinai, though, simply shook his head. "We're all worried about you. You don't sleep-"

"You're one to talk-"

"- _Rainier_. I am very serious."

"And so am I. It's just that, and with all due respect, I find it hard to believe that Shinai Kyani, master swordsman, legendary samurai hailing from the prestigious Temple of Patch cares so terribly deeply about the little Vacuoan faunus with too much arrogance and bravado to his name."

The samurai's eyes were wide in shock. "You really think so little of me?"

Rainier watched him for a moment, before turning forwards again. "…Of course not. I'm just… stressed."

"We all are-"

"No," The faunus spat back, yellow eyes hardening. "No you're not. You don't understand. You couldn't understand. Tell me- have you stayed awake night, after night, after night, replaying the things you did wrong over, and over, and over again? Hm? Have you? Of course not. You don't fail. You're Shinai bloody Kyani. You don't know what that's _like_ -"

"I don't?" Shinai asked quietly, lips pulled in an inkling of a snarl. "I spent my life failing. One failure after another- but I didn't let them become me. I used them to get _stronger,_ make sure that I never made that failure again-"

"And _yet_!" Rainier shot back, rounding on the samurai. "Here you stand. Perfect. Untouchable," The Vacuoan roughly brushed off Shinai's pauldron. "Impeccable. No, samurai, you do not know what it's like to fall and fail so terribly that it eats away at you. I can see it in your eyes. Failure's not failing an exam, it's not tripping at a _bad time_ , it's not making a mistake in front of your crush- failure is watching someone you love pass away, it's seeing the hurt in people's eyes as they realize just as well as you did that you _weren't good enough_. Failure is the feeling of always knowing that you have to be more, and yet you can't be, you can never reach that impossible brass ring. Failure is a pair of lilac eyes closing that will never reopen..." He was silent for a moment, before taking a step backwards, face trying desperately to remain furious. "...Failure is seeing the living embodiment of that perfection in the flesh... just as untouchable as you always thought it was."

Shinai opened his mouth to speak, eyebrows furrowing in concern, a hand raised to the faunus.

"Are… you two alright?" Pyrrha asked as she stepped forwards, eyebrows knit together in concern.

"We're-" The samurai began.

"-Fine." The faunus finished.

"I'm… sorry for intruding," She continued as she joined them, walking up to the railing. "I'd heard arguing and just… came to see what was happening."

"I… believe we're done." Rainier answered, turning to look at his rival out of the corner of his eye.

Shinai sighed as he placed his hands onto the bannister. "...Yes. I think we are."

"Alright then," She said, voice filled with unsureness. "Well… it's hard to believe, isn't it? But we're here. The finals of the Vytal Festival. It's hard to believe. It… can you imagine? This time in two days, we'll all… be gone. Leaving to return to our lives for the break. Can you imagine?"

"You don't have to leave," Shinai said, his attention final turning to the warrior. "You _are_ allowed to stay."

"Yes, but in the same breath I… do miss my family," She chuckled. "I can't help but feel like it's a lose-lose situation."

"Yes…" Rainier mused quietly, expression stony and closed off. "Yes it is."

The samurai cleared his throat. "Who else is joining the four of us?"

Pyrrha looked to the faunus in a silent question. Just as silently, he fished his notes from his pocket, handing them over to her without a word. "Let's see… Ruby's friend, Penny's team; Emerald and Mercury's team; Team SSSN; and Team REDD, though I don't recognize them."

Shinai nodded, satisfied, and the trio lapsed into silence, all three of their gazes turning back to the horizon, leaning against the railing, and basking in the dying summer light.

Pyrrha finally burst out into a quiet chuckle. "Who would have thought? It'd be us here again. It's rather storybook, isn't it? The three of us watching the sun set. I think I like that ending."

The samurai mulled her words over, before a small smile claimed his face, head shaking slightly. "...As do I."

"An ending it is. Finality." Rainier muttered, eyes finally casting over to his companions.

The Mistrali huntress placed her hand onto his shoulder. "When you think like that, maybe. But think of all that we've done this year. We've fought criminals, and psychopaths. We've stopped crime rings, and gone on adventures most of us could only have dreamed of. And before too long; we'll all be back, like we never left," She smiled. "And we'll get to do the whole ordeal over again."

Rainier's gaze met hers, her face pulled into a small, but bright smile. Slowly, a tiny, thin grin of its own crept across the faunus' expression, his head shaking. "You're far too optimistic, Miss Nikos. I admire it. I'd wish you luck tomorrow... both of you-" The rival's eyes met for a moment. "But I doubt you'll need it. I'll simply wish you goodnight instead." He took a step away, but didn't leave, lingering uncertainly.

His and Shinai's eyes locked one last time... and the faunus gave him a single, stiff nod. The samurai returned it after a moment, and Rainier left on his way, hands in his pockets, eyes locked to the rapidly darkening sky.

The two warriors watched him go, before turning back to the railing.

Shinai was the first to speak, shaking his head. "I worry about him."

"I know. I do too. I think we all do. This tournament has been rough to him. But, I think he of all people knows what he's doing."

"...Beyond the tournament. He's a good man. I just hope that... he cares deeply. I hope that that doesn't hurt him."

Pyrrha watched him for another long moment, before sighing, turning her attention forwards again. "I… I hope it hasn't changed any of us, for the worst. Well, Mr. Kyani. I think I'm going to head to my dorm, or at least find my team," She squeezed his shoulder, before turning after Rainier. "Goodnight. Don't stay up too late, please."

"Of course," He muttered dryly. "Sleep well, Ms. Nikos. And give Jaune my regards as well."

Her face turned crimson red, body stiffening like a bolt. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

The samurai shook his head, looking forwards. "Goodnight."

The flustered huntress shook her head as well, nervously marching off into the rapidly arriving nightfall.

Shinai stood for a long time, purple eyes simply watching the sun set over Beacon.

* * *

"A murder? And you're certain that it was recent?"

Remy leaned forwards over Ozpin's desk, tanned face screwed up in a scowl. "A day or two old, maybe, but no older."

"That's… troubling." The white haired professor muttered, looking at the litany of information held on his desk's holographic display.

"Ozpin," The Vacuoan growled. "It's a helluva lot worse than troubling. I thought crime had stopped in the city."

"It had, after Roman Torchwick had been apprehended after the Breach. This is the first report of anything since then. Remyngton… I… believe you. But I think we need to take a step back, and wonder what kind of person would commit murder while Atlas' fleet is protecting Vale."

The White Wolf stared at Oz for a long moment, yellow eyes darkening in realization. "… _Atlas_ is protecting the city?"

"Yes."

The room went silent. "...I don't _like_ jokes, Ozpin."

"Neither do I, Mr. Platina, and believe me, it's no less my decision than it is yours. The Council made a decision, against my better wishes."

Remy shot back to his full height, storming off and beginning to pace. "Atlas! Do you know what that looks like, Ozpin? It looks like a damn occupation."

Ozpin sighed. "You have your issues with their kingdom, and I understand that, but General Ironwood is a good man, if not... misguided at times. He and his army are here for the protection of all four kingdoms during the Vytal Festival. You know this."

The White Wolf shook his head, pausing in his tracks. "Atlas can't be trusted- if they decide to turn their weapons against the city, what happens, Ozpin? Lotta people will die. A lot of them. And my gods damned brother might be one of them."

"Remy-"

"If things turn for the worse... this is on your head. No one else's."

Oz moved to rebuke him, when the elevator beeped, opening up. Two men stalked out from it, both tall, pale and lanky. The taller one's dark hair was slicked backwards, stubble spreading across his face, tired, grey eyes staring at the two men inside. He was dressed in a black, armored shirt, matching black pants tucked into black, equally armored boots. The rest of his form was covered in a black tailcoat, the sleeves hanging over his shoulders like a cloak.

The shorter one looked just as tired, but far more interested in the situation at hand, dark eyebrow raised high over red eyes, spiky dark grey hair messily combed backwards, stubble covering his jaw. He was dressed in a loose grey dress shirt with a black collar, black jeans and black boots covering the lower half of his body, a short, tattered red and black cloak falling from his shoulders. One hand was stuffed in his pocket, while the other held a flask tightly, taking a swig from it as he walked up.

Ozpin cleared his throat. "Mr. Platina, al-"

"Corvus Gallant," The faunus muttered. "And Qrow Branwen."

"And you must be the White Wolf," The latter muttered, wiping at his mouth. "Heard a lot about ya. Never thought I'd see you all the way out here though."

"Things change." Remy shot back.

"Corvus," Oz said in a slight note of surprise. "I wasn't aware that you had made it back to the city yet."

"Just got back the other day. Figured I'd take it easy for a few, instead of having you toss me back out into the wilderness for another month." The former, new occupant said quietly, leaning back.

"Alright, Oz," Qrow grumbled. "What's up this time?"

"Remyngton here has some troubling news."

The aforementioned Vacuoan turned to the two other huntsmen, crossing his arms. "...There's been a murder."

"Oh," The Branwen muttered. "Well... that's new."

"Who was it? Civilian? Don't say it was a kid." Corvus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No idea. But someone's dead. No bodies, just blood. A lot of it, more than one person, probably. No weapons."

"That's a shit lead."

"All we've got."

"For the moment," Ozpin cut in, leaning forwards. "I'm going to ask the three of you not to pursue this, and certainly don't let anyone else know. The city's already uneasy with the events of the last month, and we don't need anything else occurring that could draw the grimm here, anymore than they already have been."

"So what?" Qrow asked. "We just sit around, twiddle our fingers, and act like nothing's wrong?"

"No. I'm expecting you three to keep an eye on the situation. There's only one day left in the tournament, after that, the three other kingdoms will leave, most of the students here will return home for the winter, and we'll be free to investigate as we please. But until then, we just need to get through the next day. In the meanwhile; there's a tournament going on. I'd like to avoid a mass panic if at all necessary. Platina, Qrow, all I ask of you for the next two days is to support your family in the tournament. And Corvus?" The last huntsman raised a bored eyebrow. "Try not to cause any more trouble than you need to."

The two Vale huntsmen nodded at the Professor, then Remy in turn, before marching back the way they'd come. The White Wolf, though, lingered for a moment, snarl aimed at Ozpin, who stared back stoically. The Vacuoan turned on his heel, following the other two to the elevator.

Ozpin sighed as the trio left, burying his face into his hands, eyes closed tightly.

* * *

"Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for! The one-on-one finals!"

As Professor Port's voice echoed over Amity Colosseum, the crowd exploded into raucous applause, cheers showering down to the battlefield below.

Across the center platform; was the final competitors.

Yang, looking absurdly confident, beaming giddily as she soaked in the adulation of the crowd. Rainier, face oddly zen-like as he looked around himself, scanning the crowd with carefully blank yellow eyes, hands stuffed into his pockets. A new fighter, dressed in Atlesian white armor, dark hair swept to the side with a streak of blonde, face stony still as he stared forwards. Sun Wukong grinning, bo staff held over his shoulders under both hands, nodding along to a song playing in his mind. Shinai, hands holding his katana's handle tightly, bowing lowly at the announcement. Penny blinking owlishly, smiling uncertainly as she looked around, hands folded behind her back, teetering back and forth on her toes. Mercury, a smug smirk planted on his face as he looked at his opponents. And at the end; Pyrrha.

She looked troubled, one hand holding her other arm as she turned miserable green eyes over the crowd, face trying in vain to be steadfast.

"Why don't you explain the rules, Barty?" Port continued.

"Ah, it's quite simple, Peter!" Oobleck continued. "Instead of a bracket system, each round of the finals will be randomly determined immediately before the match takes place!"

"Much like any good hunt, there will be zero time to prepare!"

"Ah, yes, yes! Now, let's see who our first match will be!"

The billboard high above began to spin, this time with the faces of the last eight competitors rather than biomes, slowing to a stop;

On Yang and Mercury.

* * *

Ruby cupped her hands over her mouth. "Break a leg, sis!" She called out.

"Go get 'em, babe!" Oracle added, whistling sharply.

* * *

Vegas, looked down the length of his aisle; making eye contact with Cinder, exchanging nods as she rose, leaving the stadium altogether. His eyes drifted from her, to Emerald, eyebrow raising boredly. She scowled his direction, turning her gaze back down to the fight below.

The killer rose to his feet, pulling his hood further down over his head as he stalked out the opposite direction of his mistress, marching towards the hallways in the back quickly.

* * *

"Would all other combatants please leave the stage?" Port called out.

The other six marched onwards, Rainier stopping next to Yang on his way out. "For all that is holy, my friend; wipe that smug smile off of his face, yes?"

She winked, hitting him with her shoulder. "Just for you, bud."

He returned the wink and followed after the rest of his peers, leaving the two huntsmen alone on the stage, the stadium lights shifting to illuminate the hole middle section, cutting through the rapidly approaching darkness of the night.

The duo met in the middle, Yang grinning. "You better not go easy on me."

Mercury chuckled mirthlessly. "You wish."

They raised their hands as they prepared for the fight, slowly edging forwards until they were centimeters apart.

"3! 2! 1!

Begin!"

The moment the word left his mouth, Yang threw the first punch, nearly making contact before the criminal lifted a foot, kicking the offending limb out of the air; the impact let out a shockwave, both fighters sliding backwards from the force of the blows.

The two brawlers didn't waste any time, meeting in the middle, Mercury firing a blast from his boots at her feet, missing as she leapt into the air, firing a shotgun shot from her gauntlet, also missing, her opponent swiveling away from the blow.

They dashed forwards again, exchanging heavy blows between her punches and his kicks; blocking some, simply taking others. She ducked low, letting loose with another shot, absorbing a kick of his own in the meanwhile. She stumbled backwards as he fired again, this time at the ground, vaulting high into the air and away from her, landing a distance away.

She grinned and began firing shots from Ember Celica after him, Mercury dodging each one skillfully as he did so, clouds of air flying behind him as he zipped across the stage back towards her, falling from the air in an attempt to smash down with his leg. She blocked the blow, pushing the attack away, but missing with her follow-up shotgun shot, giving him enough space to land a hefty kick across her face, sending her down to a knee, a grimace claiming her visage.

Yang didn't let up, though, dashing forwards quickly with a double blast from her gauntlets, landing the blow, and following up with a flurry of punches, shotgun shells falling to the ground with each impact, stopping only as he threw a desperate roundhouse kick to her back. She ducked out of the way, sending another haymaker at his feet, missing as he leapt into the air, corkscrewing in place as he sent another duo of kicks at her.

The first missed- only for the second to immediately come crashing down, slamming into the tiles and shattering them as she rolled out of the way. She leapt back to her feet and towards him, both huntsmen exchanging vicious kicks for a few moments before he landed one across her torso, sending her stumbling backwards, immediately dashing forwards to capitalize;

And catching a heavy punch to the jaw for his trouble, then a straight shot to the torso, sending him crashing ninety degrees to slam face first onto the ground. Mercury shot back to his feet as she went back on the offensive, explosive blow after explosive blow raining down onto him, somersaulting backwards away from the attacks, until one managed to catch him flush, sending him flying backwards.

Right over the edge of the center platform, careening to the floor below.

The criminal saved himself at the last moment though, firing with his boots to soar back into the fight, immediately letting loose with a series of kicks, to little avail as she blocked each blow with her arms. She ducked under one kick; directly into another, Mercury kicking off of her to dash into the air away from her, sending a shot with his boots at her, Yang easily avoiding it.

And absolutely not noticing the blast of air stopping behind her, floating in the air patiently.

The criminal hit the ground hard, shooting back to his feet- and firing blast after blast, swiveling in place on his other foot. She dashed forwards, dodging around the blasts, closing the distance quickly, meeting Mercury head on, trading punches expertly again for a short moment, before a high kick cracked against the side of her head, launching her into the air before he kicked her right back down into the tiles, cracks splintering across the surface under her.

Then the shots all began to rain down towards her, dozens of blasts crashing onto her prone form.

Mercury landed on the ground a short few feet away, grinning smugly as he rose to his feet, dusting himself off; and was totally ignorant of the glowing red eyes in the smoke behind him. The dust cloud dispersed in a brilliant explosion of flames. His eyes widened in shock for an instant, before fading to a smile as he turned back towards her, staring the berserking huntress down.

* * *

Lance let out a laugh. "Ohoho, she's pissed!"

Ulysses crossed his arms, leaning back. "…Dammit. You weren't wrong."

Nora elbowed the hulking huntsman. "See? _Total_ fight crush. You guys would be perfect for each other."

"Don't push it."

* * *

Yang snarled in fury, hair glowing, eyes brilliantly red, and punched her fists together, charging forwards with a roar of fury. She reached him quickly, a thunderous blow making contact, sending him stumbling backwards, before continuing her onslaught, dodging around the increasingly desperate kicks from the criminal-

And then took one solidly across the side of her chest, hardly flinching from it. She immediately continued her onslaught, landing haymaker after haymaker across the defenseless criminal. Without letting up for a moment, the rampaging huntress hit a vicious punch into his stomach, burying it into his flesh, a groan escaping his lips as his grey aura flickered across his form, the aura bar high above hitting zero.

Regardless, Yang immediately slammed her other fist squarely into his face, sending him flying away limply, crashing onto his back.

A buzzer blared over the arena, and the crowd burst out into a roar of applause.

"What a beginning to the finals!" Port called out.

"Yang Xiao Long wins!" Oobleck finished.

The aforementioned blonde closed her eyes, letting out a sigh as her body went limp. When she opened her eyes, they had returned to their default lilac, a smile crossing her face, lifting her arm to another round of cheers.

* * *

Ruby leapt up and down in excitement. "YEAH! YOU DID IT SIS!"

Blake and Weiss rose to their feet as well, the latter fist pumping and cheering, while the former gave her partner a standing ovation. "Way to go, Yang!"

Rainier applauded as well, a grin stretched across his face as he turned to Lance. "Very well, friend! Combo victory it was, well played!"

"If you lost the bet, hand the lien over!" The swordsman called out, taking small donation of money from a couple of his friends, and even some of the students around him as the arena continued on in a sustained roar.

And then Yang turned on her heel on a dime, letting loose a vicious punch and shotgun blast, blowing through Mercury's knee as if it was nothing, the limb snapping, the lower half bending to the side at nearly a ninety-degree angle, the criminal falling to the ground in screams of pain, the crowd going dead silent in shock.

"MY LEG- _MY LEG_!" He screamed out, hands going to the snapped limb as he rolled across the ground.

"That's what you get, you little-" Yang began angrily, before a collection of Atlesian soldiers and white Knights rushed the stage, guns held high and at the ready.

"Yang Xiao Long, stand down!" One barked.

She threw her hands up. "What?! _Why?!_ I didn't do anything!"

Emerald leapt from the stands to the floor below, dashing towards her partner and falling to her knee. "Mercury!" She cried out in horror.

"Why'd she do that?!" He screamed out hysterically to no one in particular. "WHY'D SHE ATTACK ME?!"

Yang's eyes slowly raised up to the screen above the stadium, lilac's eyes widening in horror as she watched the replay of her attacking the defenseless boy. Her eyes trailed down, staring at the wide-eyed, terrified faces of her teammates and friends, then to the guns staring her down, wheeling around in shock.

"Yang Xiao Long, _stand down_!" The soldier barked again, stepping towards her. "Come with us, this instant! Do it quietly!"

She raised her hands, still looking shellshocked as she shakily followed after the soldiers, leaving her writhing opponent and his teammate behind, medics rushing up to the platform to usher him away.

Rainier watched the bedlam below, a hand placed against his mouth in shock. "I… but-"

"Ruby, what the hell was that?!" Daria barked.

"I- I don't know!" She cried back, shooting to her feet and rushing from the stands to the hallways in the back, the rest of her team, following right after her.

The other three teams sat in silence, looking to each other unsurely.

Except for Shinai.

Whose eyes hadn't left Emerald once.

* * *

Rainier knocked on the door. "Yang?"

"Go away." The blonde huntress muttered back.

"Please. It's just me. Let me in."

"I said go away. I don't walk to talk, Rainier."

"If you don't let me in, I'm going to come in anyways."

"You don't even have a key- just leave me alone."

He turned downtrodden yellow eyes to Ruby, the short girl sighing as she swiped her Scroll across the keypad, the door beeping as it unlocked. The faunus nodded at her as he let himself in, staring in concern at his friend.

Yang was curled up in her bed, leaning against the corner; her face was drawn in a solemn gaze, lilac eyes just simply... tired. She jolted to attention as Rainier entered the room. "Jeez, what part of 'go away' don't you get?"

He raised his hands to her placatingly. "Please, I just want to-"

"I don't want to talk!" She snapped, face twisting in irritation. "Just go. Please. I just... want to be alone right now."

"Alright, alright," The Vacuoan said, slowly backing up to the door- before stopping. "Tell me; how did it feel?"

Yang stiffened up. "What?" She whispered.

"How did it feel?" He repeated coldly. "When you broke that boy's leg?"

Her face crumbled again. "I keep telling everyone- he- he attacked me! I just defended myself-"

"We all saw it happen, Ms. Xiao Long."

Her eyes filled with betrayal. "How could you think that I did it?"

"Because I saw it happen. I ask you again; how did it feel?"

The distraught huntress curled further into herself, shaking her head. "Just go away…" She muttered.

"Was it satisfying? Did you feel the bone splinter before it shattered? Or was it more of a clean, across the bone break? Or… did you not feel the bone splinter, or crack; I'm asking you _sincerely_ … what did it feel like?"

Lilac eyes slowly lifted to meet him. "…What are you talking about?"

Rainier opened the door, beginning to step out. "I, more than anyone, know _exactly_ how a mechanical limb can break. I know it far too well," Her eyes widened in shock, eyes trailing downwards as dozens of thoughts crossed her mind. "For the record, Ms. Xiao Long; I believe you. Whole-heartedly. Try and get some sleep, yes?"

He nodded at her, softly closing the door as he stepped back out into the hall.

Ruby frowned at him. "What are you talking about? With the mechanical limb thing?"

The faunus sighed. "You remember Roman, and the Gold man, and the woman from the dance- and so many other things that have happened, yes?"

"Of course. I don't-"

"What if it was all building to something, hm? What if it didn't _end_ with you taking Roman in? What if… he wasn't the mastermind behind it."

Her face fell, silver eyes trailing down to the floor. "I… Uncle Qrow did mention how weird it was that all crime had stopped. You… you think that something is going on?"

"I'm… not sure. But certainly… we should all be a little more careful and aware, correct? Did General Ironwood tell you what would happen with her?"

Ruby sighed, her suspicious expression melting back into one of sadness. "…She's probably going to be stripped of the victory, and we'll be disqualified in the tournament. They don't know. They're going to take the day to talk about it. Fights are over for the night. I don't even know anymore. It's… like nothing good happens to us. We can't catch a break."

He placed a hand onto her shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. "Mayhaps. But mayhaps we need to begin making our own breaks?"

"What does that even mean?"

"You can't expect good things to come to you. You have to make them happen. What's happened with Yang is… an unfortunate, strange situation. But, the world moves on. She'll bounce back. She always does. In the meanwhile, there are three people in this tournament who are _very much so_ going to angrily win in her honor."

A small smile slowly claimed the short girl's face. "I… guess you're right. Thanks, Rain."

"Of course, Rubes. Tell Yang we're all thinking of her. I'm going to… go do something, I suppose."

"That's a really suspicious way of saying that, but sure."

"Of course. It's still me, after all." He ruffled her hair as he began to walk away, smile dropping from his face quickly, a sigh escaping his lips.

* * *

Vegas stood on the wall surrounding Vale, hands shoved into his pockets as he stared out at the wilderness surrounding the city, hood pulled back over his head.

He nodded at the dozens of black masses stalking towards them, golden eyes glinting brightly in satisfaction.

One of the grimm, a hulking elephantine creature, as large as a building, threw its head back and let out an unnatural trumpet, several others joining the call.

"Cinder," He said to no one in particular. "They're here."

" _Good. One or two more… tragedies should do it. What do you think; the robot and the Mistrali? Or the samurai and the wolf?"_ She purred back.

A vicious grin climbed across his face. "My choice? I'm honored. Ooh… I really, really wanna watch the wolf kill the samurai. Yeah… let's do that. See if you can't get Emerald to make it bloody."

" _Of course, Goldie. Just for you. See you tomorrow night. Don't forget to enjoy yourself_."

His grin didn't drop, a satisfied sigh leaving his lips as he turned away from the forests, to Amity Colosseum high above. "I can't wait."


	24. Chapter 8: White Wolf

**Chapter 8: White Wolf**

* * *

Shinai stared steadfastly at the doors ahead, feeling the unfamiliar motion as he rose higher and higher, slowing to a stop, before the tell-tale 'ding' of his arrival. The elevator slid open, letting out into the grand office of Ozpin, the headmaster leaning forwards over his desk, brown eyes _very_ curious about the samurai's approach. "Mr. Kyani, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

The aforementioned samurai reached him in a few short moments, taking a seat in front of Oz, bowing his head slightly. "Professor Ozpin. I… had some questions, if you wouldn't mind."

"Of course. What did you have in mind?"

Shinai shifted rather uncomfortably in his seat for a few moments, before letting out a sigh. "The shield in Amity, that protects the bystanders from the fights; it blocks everything, correct?"

Ozpin blinked, looking out the window to the hulking airborne colosseum in the distance. "As far as I'm aware, yes, it does."

"Everything. Including semblances?"

"I… I feel as if you have a very specific concern?"

"Does it defend against semblances?" The amateur huntsman repeated.

"Well, yes, and no. If a semblance was physical it could of course block it, like Mr. Zaffre's explosions."

Shinai stiffened. "…But what about the ones that it doesn't block?"

"Your Death Blossom could conceivably pass through the shield, for instance, though you would be disqualified from the tournament, and more than likely ejected from the arena. Things of a less than physical nature are harder to repel."

"…So something along the lines of a semblance that affects the mind could pass through it."

Ozpin leaned further forwards, eyebrows knitting together as his face grew more and more deadly serious. "You're being very specific about this, Mr. Kyani."

"What happened with Yang-"

"Was terrible, and a shame, and most of the people I have consulted agree that it was more than likely a hallucination stemming from post-fight stress… but you disagree."

"There's a girl, from Haven, who I knew as a boy. Her semblance can create illusions… that only affects one person at a time."

Oz was dead silent, face unreadable.

After a moment, Shinai continued. "Even when we were young, these illusions could be incredibly realistic… she could shift reality entirely, make you see things that truly weren't there."

"And… you think she may have used this on Yang, showing her this... illusory attack from Mercury?"

"I'm not sure. But isn't it a possibility?"

Ozpin leaned back, steepling his fingers. "That is… concerning to hear. Do you know of any probable reasons she would do such a thing?"

"No. None that I know of. We lost contact for a very long time. But... she was a selfish person, and I never would have expected her to become a huntress."

"There's… not much we can do at the moment, unfortunately. Emerald, Mercury, and the rest of their team left to head home to Mistral directly after their fight. No one will be able to get in contact with them until they land. Meanwhile the rest of the finals matches will be happening tonight. After them, we can, and will, look into the possibility of it. Until then, Mr. Kyani, I'd recommend simply focusing on your fight tonight. Don't let this get too far into your head. Once the tournament is done, we'll investigate the possibility of interference."

Shinai sighed quietly, but nodded nonetheless, rising to his feet. "…Thank you for your time, Professor."

"Of course. Good luck in your fight tonight, I know that you'll make your school and kingdom proud." Oz said, inclining his head to the student.

With a bow, the samurai turned on his heel and marched back towards the exit, ever-aware of Ozpin's eyes locked onto his back.

* * *

Lance drummed his knuckles against the top of his suitcase, lips pursed in deep thought, pace quickening anxiously. He unclenched his free hand, staring at the bronze ring gripped within, rolling it around in his fingers thoughtfully, looking over the ever-familiar inscriptions engraved on its interior and exterior.

"Sorry, Dad," He muttered, taking the leather band wrapped around it, and clipping it around his neck. "But I think I just figured out what you were talking about. You wouldn't be mad if I started wearing it, would ya? I hate to pull myself off, but I think I'm mostly ready for it. Go ahead and smite me if you disagree."

"Knock knock?"

He jolted out of his reverie, turning on his heel towards the door. Oracle stood, leaning against the door frame, hat held in front of her, green eyes inquisitive; and locked firmly onto his necklace. After a moment, she pursed her lips, turning her attention to the case on the bed.

"Got somewhere to be, blondie?" She asked quietly.

The swordsman sighed, swiping his hair backwards, looking down at his suitcase. "Nah. Just getting ready for tomorrow."

She started forwards, cocking her head at him curiously. "Tomorrow's a long ways away, hon."

"Well… yeah. I guess it is."

Oracle plopped down onto his bed next to the messily filled box, leaning to the side to look him in the eyes. "What's wrong."

"I'm… I dunno. I guess I'm just… not ready for it to be over."

"Oh, hon. We'll be back before ya know it."

"Yeah, well…"

Now a frown found its way to her face. " _What's wrong_?"

Lance continued to tap at his briefcase, a look of uncertainty crossing him as he opened his mouth to speak; then, like a switch was flipped, he leaned back, broad grin gleaming in the light, one hand smoothing out his hair. "Naw, it's nothing. Don't worry about it, O. Just stressed about the captain's fight tonight. Could you imagine if we worked our asses off to get here and he chokes at the end."

Oracle's face burned with disbelieving suspicion for a moment, before similarly schooling it into a smile of her own, hitting his hip as she rose to her feet. "Aw whatever, the captain's got this, and you know it."

"Pyrrha's still in the field, you know."

"Fair enough, but he's Shinai godsdamned Kyani. He's not, y'know, Lance Zaffre."

"Hey! Uncalled for! And way too soon."

"You're as wishy-washy as the day is long."

"Weak chirp."

"I'm a little out of practice."

The two huntsmen shared smiles for a moment, before the gunslinger gestured over her shoulder towards the door. "The rest of us _not_ -finalist jerks are goin' into town for lunch. Wanna come hang?"

He shrugged, grabbing his Scroll from off of his bed as they made their way from the dorm. "You could've just called."

"Needed to make sure you weren't doin' something… inappropriate."

"Don't be weird."

"Just sayin'."

She stopped in front of him, before turning on her heel, looking up into his eyes earnestly. "So… your dad?"

He froze in place, blinking owlishly, eyes slowly trailing downwards to the ring resting against his bare chest. "Oh, you… how long were you standing there?"

"Depends on how long you're comfortable with me saying."

A frown found its way to Lance's face. "Was that- did you just-"

"Don't fry a circuit, Zaffre. You mind if I ask?"

"I mean, you're probably going to anyways, so I guess… I mean… it's kinda a stupid story."

Oracle elbowed him as they continued on their way, winding their way through the halls of the dorm. "I don't expect anythin' less from ya, hon."

"Ha ha. For your information, my Dad gave it to me when I was a kid. It was his dad's before him, and one of my great-grandparents' before that. Family heirloom, you know?"

"Why start wearin' it now?"

"Ah, it's kinda a whole coming of age thing. I keep it around, but, I… figured that I'm worthy to wear it, or, whatever."

She grinned broadly. "You're right, it is a stupid story."

"I just can't talk to you."

"But a cute story. And not a sarcastically cute story, either. You're a good egg, hon."

"Oh, well, thank you. Your appreciation fills my heart."

She looked up at him as he turned blue eyes to the matching autumn sky. "…And… if your dad was here, I think he'd think you were worthy too."

Lance didn't draw his gaze from the sky, face falling thoughtfully. "…Thanks, O."

"Don't mention it. _I_ think you're worthy, if that's any condolence at all."

Finally, he turned to her, a small smirk glinting in the light. "…If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you're starting to like me."

She rolled her eyes and jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. "Don' push it, blondie."

He winked brightly at her, nudging her back with his shoulder as they stepped off of Beacon's campus into the city of Vale.

* * *

Daria groaned. "Dude."

There was no answer.

"Dude."

Nothing.

"Dude!"

Rainier skid to a stop. "You called?"

"If you don't stop tapping your foot, I'm gonna cut it off." She mumbled at him, turning tired dark eyes his way.

"You wouldn't be the first."

"Dude. Just stop. What's got you so riled up?"

The faunus plopped down onto his bed, crossing his legs and giving his leader a raised-eyebrow look. "Other than the finalist fight coming here in just a short few hours?"

The diminutive huntress leaned back in her chair, folding her arms and sending his look right back at him, completely unimpressed. "…Really?"

Rainier continued to stare her down for a long few moments, pale yellow gaze ever so slowly softening.

"C'mon, Rain."

He sighed. "There's so many things to be nervous about. The finals coming up, us all leaving tomorrow morning- so much change is coming and I'm not sure how to confront it. I'm not a nervous person, you know that as well as I do… but… this… I'm terrified, Dearest Daria."

His leader stared back at him silently for a moment, before shaking her head. "…Rain… you know that… there's such a small chance that you'll actually _get_ your Shinai fight, right?"

"I know."

"There's still him, and Pyrrha, and Sun, and Penny, and that other guy; it's such a small chance. What are you gonna do if you can't get the fight?"

"I'm… not sure. I'm truly not. I suppose I'll wait till next year. And the year after that. And the year after that. I can't imagine it not happening eventually. The universe isn't cruel enough for such a thing."

Daria shook her head again. "That's not everything though, is it?"

Rainier's face slowly faded from its earnest look of apprehension to one of… almost childlike nervousness. "I… well… you'll think it foolish."

"Rain, I already think you're a fool."

"Fair enough. But, well…"

"Is it about Weiss? It's about Weiss, isn't it?"

He looked anywhere but directly at her, pursing his lips. "…Perhaps."

"C'mon. Spit it out."

The faunus sighed, leaning forwards, bending towards the ground, hands clasped tightly together. "It's… I… I have… a… gift for her."

"Oh. Okay?"

"Yes, but I can't simply give it to her. With everything happening with Yang, it'd be far too inappropriate."

"…You don't have that much time, though, you know that? I figure you'll both be gone tomorrow. Famous families and all that to return to."

"I… perhaps. But-"

"-But you're scared and being a big baby about it. What happened to Yang sucked, and who knows what's going to happen with that whole situation, but you don't have that much time, dude."

"I- I know that, but… what if she doesn't like it?"

Daria burst out into full-blown laughter, almost crashing into the desk behind her with the force of her whiplash.

"That's a fake laugh."

"Oh, it's real!"

"That's a fake laugh!"

"This is the most real laugh I've ever had!"

"What's so funny then?"

"It's just hilarious to see you being all… _nervous_ about this. Dude, you better go hunt her down this instant before I drag her here myself. If you don't do it, you'll just beat yourself up about it. If she says no, oh well. There are worse things that could happen. For instance; you don't get your Shinai fight, and after your crap against BLDD, you damn well _better_ get your Shinai fight," Her smile dropped on a dime as she leaned towards him, warm brown staring intently into pale gold. "So; now go. Find. Weiss."

Rainier stared at his friend silently, for a long few moments, swallowing hard.

* * *

Weiss' pale eyes stared forwards, slowly darkening in irritation as she tapped her foot quickly, staring out at the empty confines of the library, leaning back against one of the many bookshelves.

"He has five minutes…" She muttered to herself, pulling up her Scroll and glaring at the time.

"Ah, so I suppose I should wait?"

The Schnee heiress jolted in shock at the sudden appearance of Rainier, the faunus leaning around a bookshelf with inquisitive yellow eyes, coy smile playing on his face.

She frowned derisively at him, crossing her arms. "Do _not_ scare me like that!"

He held up his hands abatingly as he rounded the corner, coming to a stop next to her and taking a seat, crossing his legs nonchalantly, hands folded in his lap. "I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here."

"Of course I am. Don't you have a fight to be preparing for?"

"I do, but… well, I'm dreadfully running out of time, so I suppose it's now or never. Rather than moments before we leave, of course."

The heiress slowly turned completely towards him, arms crossed over her chest. "Rainier, are... you okay?"

He chuckled. "Of course not! Do I _look_ okay?"

"No. You look like you just watched your dog get waterboarded."

The faunus stared at her before snickering. "You have a brilliant way with words, Miss Schnee."

"I'm serious though. What's going on?"

"I…" He sighed, uncrossing then recrossing his legs anxiously. "Well… Miss Schnee. Weiss. See, I have… well, it's a… I-" He went dead silent, tanned skin darkening in a blush and, wordlessly, he pulled a sealed envelope from his jacket pocket, handing it to her while looking anywhere _but_ at the heiress.

Weiss frowned as she took it, looking it over. "It's… an envelope."

"Yes."

"I… thank you?"

"Oh, just open it before I go into cardiac arrest."

She leaned away from him, looking sufficiently perplexed as she daintily opened the letter, eyebrows furrowing as she tried in vain to read his carefully blank face. "O…kay? You're being bizarre. And I mean _more_ bizarre than usual."

" _Just read it_." He muttered.

The Atlesian rolled her eyes, pulling the contents of the envelope out and unfolding the several pieces of paper. Her pale eyes narrowed as she worked to decipher the contents- and then widened suddenly. "Rainier! This is- a song?"

"Aha... yes."

"I…" She looked it over. "Did- did you write this?"

"In the last few days, yes."

Her eyes flitted from him back to the sheets, now _very_ interestedly looking it over. "There's a- a vocal section, and a piano section-"

"And an orchestral section on one of the others, alongside a guitar section simply because I couldn't help myself. The orchestral was the hardest part, I'm not very good at it, being more inclined to pop-music instead, but…"

Weiss looked at him in shock for a very long moment, one hand pulled to her mouth, looking back and forth between him and the music. Wordlessly, she leaned forwards, losing herself in reading over the lyrics.

Rainier watched her intently as she did so, eyes looking over her features greedily, a tiny smile crossing his face.

"Rain…" She whispered. "This… this reads like-"

"Like one of your songs, yes. I… spent an undisclosed amount of time listening to your music."

"You- I- this- _what_?"

He sighed, turning towards her. "I… thought that you might like a song like this. About being strong and standing on one's own. I thought it was perfect for you."

Now a brilliant red blush found its way to her pale skin. "What?"

"You're… gods, how do I say it without sounding like an idiot… so… strong, and- and you. Strong, and intelligent and _viciously_ witty, and independent and so perfectly you-"

"-Oh my gods-" She whispered.

"-When… I decided to write you something, a thousand boring love songs occurred to me and- none of them seemed fitting. But this? You're not a love song- you're a ballad; powerful, and dramatic, and a tad on the nose, but unabashed."

"Rain-"

"I can't imagine you any other way. You know, I've- I've been- you've been stuck in my head since before I figured out _why_ exactly you were stuck in my head. I mean, truly, since the night of the dance, where we spent who knows how long cleaning the mess of several hundred teens while talking about _music_ of all things. That… then, it was one thing after another. I discovered how witty and funny you are when you relax. I discovered how damn talented of a huntress you are. I discovered how _brilliant_ of a person Weiss Schnee is. I… Weiss Schnee, I think I may be terribly, _madly_ in love with you."

Weiss stared at him silently for a despairingly long time- before letting out a slightly choked laugh, turning away from him as she wiped a lone, renegade tear from her eye. "Gods, I _hate_ you."

"Oh."

"You have to make everything _so_ needlessly difficult. You made the dance so much harder than it needed to be. You've made this tournament so much harder than it needs to be. And now-" She chuckled. "Now _this_. You just have to make everything so difficult, don't you?"

"I try." He muttered dryly.

"What even makes you think I'm so special?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure, truly. It's not any sort of logical thought process, just… this funny feeling. Everything about you, everything you do, just… feels so perfect to me."

She chuckled back at him, continuing to wipe at her eyes. "Would you believe me if I said that I'd looked at you somewhat the same way at one point."

The faunus' eyes widened. "I- what?"

"I grew up-" She looked away, humorously wiping at her eyes. "I always wanted someone like you, some sort of Prince Charming to- to save me from whatever. But I grew up. And people like you don't exist. But here you are! I..." She sighed. "I wasn't even waiting for you to do anything, I just..." She trailed off, her point lost as she looked over the music sheets clutched tightly in her hands.

Rainier simply stared at her, the two pale-haired huntsmen letting the library fall back into its supreme quiet.

Weiss shook her head, turning to stare forwards. "I can't-"

She went silent, her eyes widening as he swooped forwards, capturing her mouth in his in a surprisingly chaste kiss.

As soon as he was there, he was gone, back into his spot, face darkening in a new blush, turning away from her. He bowed his head. "I'm sorry, that was st-"

The Atlesian grabbed his face in both hands, turning him towards her and pulling him into a much deeper kiss, holding him stock still in her grasp.

After a long moment, she pulled away, shocked pale eyes staring into equally shocked, owlishly blinking golden ones.

"So…" He whispered huskily, clearing his throat. "I take it you're _not_ turning me down?"

"Shut up." She muttered.

And with that, the two huntsmen went back to staring forwards- shoulder to shoulder, ever so slightly leaning against each other. Slowly, her head inclined to the side, resting against his shoulder. His head followed suit, resting against her own.

"But do you like the song?" He finally asked, voice cutting through the peaceful silence.

"Well… how about as soon as I can sing again, you can hear it."

He swallowed hard, heart skipping a beat, and the Atlesian and the Vacuoan sat quietly.

* * *

Weiss looked up at Rainier with slightly hazy eyes. "…This is me." She whispered, the duo coming to a stop outside RWBY's dorm room door, staring at each other silently.

The faunus gave her a tiny bow, pulling her hand up to plant a kiss on her knuckles. "Then… I'll see you at the Finals tonight."

"Of course. Well, Platina… since you've decided to put us through all of this, have you thought of what we're going to tell everyone else?"

"Well… you're far more… confrontational than I am. I figured you would just yell at them."

"You're the worst."

He smiled, before leaning down, giving her a small kiss, pulling back and taking a deep, anxious breath. "Well… I'll be going."

"Alright."

The faunus bowed lowly with a flourish, turning to march towards his own dorm room; sneaking glances back at her as he went, the two foreign huntsmen sharing a smile, before she disappeared into her room.

The door closed and Rainier immediately leapt into the air, fist-pumping and letting out a silent yell of victory. He let out a heavy breath as he giddily rushed towards the exits of the dormitory, not sure of _where_ exactly he was going.

* * *

"And _where_ exactly is Weiss and Ruby?" Oracle asked pointedly, waving a french fry at Blake.

The faunus shrugged. "I'm not sure. Weiss said that she had to go meet someone and she'd be back. That was… an hour ago. Ruby left on our way here, saying that she needed to go do something. So… I think they flaked on us."

"Alright, _fine_ ; Short Stuff," Nash perked up, looking up with wide eyes to the gunslinger. "Where's Daria and Rain?"

He shrugged, tracing circles onto the table of the café, the nine huntsmen currently seated out in the open air. "Oh, I dunno, they were hangin' in the room talkin' about something, I dunno. Gail and I wanted to go get food so we left without 'em." He snatched a handful of tots off of his plate as he spoke, continuing to shrug pointlessly.

"Gods- guys, this," Oracle sighed. "This was s'posed to be our last lunch together. And then everyone just… flaked."

Lance caught her expression, flicking a coin into the air and catching it, shrugging. "Oh, whatever. We'll see them in a few hours. This time's for us, then. We'll see them at the finals, and we'll see them after, and we'll see them tomorrow morning, and then we'll see them in just a few months. It's not the end of the world, O. How 'bout, we'll do a group dinner after the finals tonight. All _sixteen_ of us, which means, Blake, that Yang's not allowed to mope in her room."

The Menagerian gave him a small smile. "I'll be sure to let her know."

"Ruby."

All eyes turned to Nash.

Gail frowned. "…Ruby?"

"Ruby."

"What about Ruby?" Ren asked.

"Ruby!"

"That-"

"HEY, guys, hey." The aforementioned leader of RWBY called out as she marched up to the nine; with someone else in tow.

"Sal-u-tations!" Penny Polendina called out happily, and loudly.

A confused, half-hearted wave of greetings went back at her.

"Guys," Ruby offered nervously. "This- is Penny. Penny, this-"

"Ooh, Oracle, Ulysses, Lance of Team SOUL; Jaune, Nora, Ren of Team JNPR; Gail and Nash of Team DRGN; and Blake. Hello, Blake!"

"Hello." The faunus offered weakly.

"Man, that's creepy." Lance muttered.

Nash, though, shot to his feet, dashing towards her with wide eyes. "Sword lady!"

"Suit boy!"

"You were so cool! How do you _do_ that?!"

"I have strings that attach to my- _backpack_! My backpack, of course! And I control them… through my backpack!" Penny offered, stumbling over her words halfway through the sentence, neon green eyes crinkling in apology as she looked at Ruby.

"Gah! That's so cool!" Nash cried out, zipping around her. "Can…" He trailed off quietly, looking up at her with bright blue puppy dog eyes. "Can I see?"

"I-"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Nash. _Penny_." Ruby interrupted, giving her friend a hard look.

"But, Ruby! Look at him! He is so adorable!"

"Penny."

"Very well. I'm sorry, Nash. But you can see them tonight at the Finals!"

Nash's downtrodden look shifted quickly to a giddy smile- then suspicious eyes, rounding back around Penny, pointing at her stiffly (ignoring her as she lifted a finger and poked it against his). "Unless you're fighting Rainier…" He mumbled.

"Oh, of course! You would obviously support your teammate in a battle between he and I! If it's any consolation, though, I would love to fight Rainier, and I think that it would be a stupendous fight!"

The diminutive boy's face melted back into his usual giddy smile. "I love her, Ruby!"

"I love you too!" Penny called back.

The two embraced.

Oracle chuckled, shaking her head as Ruby sat down. "We already got our food, sorry, hon. We weren't going to wait."

"You…" The leader of RWBY swallowed hard, betrayal crossing her face. "You didn't get me anything?" She whispered.

"Can't say that we did."

A low whimper escaped the silver-eyed huntress' mouth, body slowly slumping forwards in misery.

"I'm kiddin'. Blake got ya a sandwich."

The aforementioned faunus smirked and tossed her leader a styrofoam box. Ruby caught it, throwing it open with wide eyes, salivating as she looked at the well-stuffed sandwich. She looked up to her teammate, bowing her head repeatedly. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She repeated as she bowed- promptly before ripping into the sandwich ravenously.

"Hey, Rubes?" Lance asked, getting the dark-haired girl to blink and freeze mid-bite, looking up to him. "What's the deal with the ginger?" He gestured to Penny and Nash- the boy having pulled out a large scroll of schematics of Phalanx, the conversation turning to the mech as they quietly, and fervently, discussed the design.

Nora pointed a spoon threateningly at him, leaning over the table, electric blue eyes narrowed. "You got a problem with gingers, buddy?"

"Just the ones that I don't know." He shrugged.

She pointed viciously at her eyes, then back at him, sourly taking a bite out of Ren's own sandwich. The pink-eyed ninja blinked in surprise, opened his mouth to rebuke her, then sighed, taking a long swig from his drink (a thick, home-brewed, green… smoothie-like thing).

Ruby shook her head. "Penny's great! I just think that, you know, she's my friend, and you're my friends, and we should all be friends, right?!"

Jaune gave her an unimpressed look. " _Ruby_."

"…Alright. Fine. This does. Not. Leave. This. Table. Understood?!"

Lance nodded over-exaggeratedly. "Y. E. S."

"…We're- me and Penny- are trying to get figure out how to get her to come to Beacon next year. And, you know, I figured that she could join the group."

Oracle tipped her hat backwards. "I feel like you two are makin' it harder than it probably is."

"Ehehe… no. I don't think we are. But that's a story for another day. Anyways-"

"Well," The blonde greatswordsman cut in. "I think Nash is in love."

Ruby swallowed hard. "Oh… you might… want to… stop that."

Ulysses shook his head. "You all make everything so godsdamned difficult."

"You're not wrong, buddy," Jaune sighed. "You're not wrong."

"You're not my buddy." The hulking teen growled back.

"I thought we were passed this!"

"Never."

"We've been working on this! You're almost a real person!"

"I _will_ turn you into an accordion."

"Point taken."

Oracle leaned forwards, pulling on Ruby's cape, talking quietly into her ear. "Something's wrong with Penny?"

The shorter huntress swallowed her bite of food, looking around shiftily. "It's… a long story." She muttered back.

"Before _anything_ gets done, I think you're gonna have to tell us that story."

"…After the tournament's over, then I'll tell you guys. Kay?"

The gunslinger leaned back, nodding in satisfaction. "Deal."

* * *

The wind whistled as it rushed through the trees, turned to shades of red and gold in the onset of autumn.

Other than the breeze, though, the clearing was dead silent.

Shinai sat resolutely in the center, Shi En laid out over his lap as he breathed in and out, focusing intently on the world around him. The wind picked up, pulling at his loose clothing.

Like a lightning bolt, the blade shot into his hand, and then into the air, the two halves of a maple leaf fluttering to the grassy floor below. Eyes still closed, he disappeared into a cloud of smoke, reappearing a few meters away, turning on his heel as another halved leaf fell. The samurai whirred about, turning on his heel expertly, gleaming steel blade soaring through the wind as remains of leaves fell around him like confetti.

The wind died down, and the samurai poofed away, before returning to his spot in the center of the field, remnants of his purple smoke drifting off of him.

His breathing levelled out again.

And the clearing was silent.

Until his Scroll buzzed urgently.

Shinai's eyes opened, colored with irritation as he fished it from his pockets, looking down at the screen- before his eyes widened at the name. He pulled it up to his face, waiting patiently.

"… _Hello? Shinai?"_ The starkly familiar voice called out.

"Hatsume."

" _You're always so formal."_

The samurai sighed, laying down onto the grass, looking up at the brilliant blue sky. "Everything alright?"

Another sigh greeted him. " _We've been over this_."

"You never call."

" _And neither do you! Ever!"_

A voice angrily hushed through the scroll, Hatsume whispering an apology immediately after.

" _Friggin' Master Shen_ ," She muttered. " _So… heard your finals are today_."

"…How, exactly?"

" _Oh… you know… one of the initiates might… have a little portable TV_."

"What? How?"

" _I think Grand Master Kizan knows that he has it, but's probably just letting us watch you in the tournie_."

"That…" Shinai sighed. "Sounds plausible."

" _Yuh-huh. So how's it been? How's the Festival? Do you know who you're fighting? What time will it be? Should I ask Kizan to let everybody watch it_?"

The samurai pulled the Scroll from his face, staring at the screen for a moment as she continued to prattle on questions.

Finally, he frowned, pulling it back towards him. "Zoe."

" _What_?"

"What's going on?"

She was silent for a long few moments. _"…Well… we're… not important?_ "

"Zoe."

" _We're planning a celebration for you when you come back tomorrow- gods, I shouldn't have said that- forget I said anything_."

Shinai, though, simply stared in slight shock at his Scroll.

" _Hello? Shin? You still there_?"

"…You're…" He began. "Throwing a celebration for me?"

" _What? Of course. I- oh. Oh, Shin. You- we all love you here. You're our guy. Of course we're throwing a party for you. You're all that anyone's talking about here_ ," He said nothing for a long moment. " _Hey- you okay?"_

He swallowed hard. "I'm… alright. I… may be late tomorrow."

" _What, you're not gonna leave first thing in the morning_?"

"I don't think so."

" _Seriously? You left at the butt-crack of_ dawn _when you left. Why? What's going on?_ "

Shinai sighed. "I'll… I just don't think that I'm going to make very good time. I… have some things I need to take care of before I leave."

"… _You okay, Shin_?"

"I… I think I'm going to be fine. Zoe, I… need to go finish preparing for my finals fight."

" _Oh- oh, course, yeah. No problem_."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

" _Course. Um… yeah. Bye, Shin. See you soon. Miss you."_

The samurai whispered a quiet goodbye as the line went dead, plunging the clearing back into serene silence, the wind whistling through the trees, leaves whirring by gracefully. He sighed as he sat back up, crossing his legs beneath him.

And ever so slowly centered his breathing, taking his katana back into his hands, painfully aware of the autumn colors blurring around him.

Purple eyes stared forwards at the treeline, hard with determination.

Shi En flew through the air like a silver blur as he spun to his feet, swiping at the small leaves around him.

* * *

Rainier stared out at the bright lights of the stadium, standing in the hallway beneath the stands, his hands clenching and unclenching as he focused his breathing. In. And out. In. And out.

In.

And out.

"Welcome back to the biennial 40th Vytal Festival finals!" Port called out.

"Indeed, we are back from last night's horrifying events, but we plan to bring to you the very best of this generation's huntsmen! …Hopefully with less horrifying events!" Oobleck continued.

In.

And out.

A vague awareness of the other final competitors waiting elsewhere for the next fight. Maybe all together. Maybe not. It didn't matter to him.

He just needed to breathe.

In.

And out.

"Well, without further adieu," Port went on. "Onto the next match! Contested by…"

The crowd went quiet in bated breath, eyes locked onto the screen high above, the final six portraits ever-slowing.

In.

The Atlesian.

Pyrrha.

Sun.

Rainier.

Shinai.

Penny.

The Atlesian.

Slower, and slower.

Rainier's eyes widened.

Rainier's portrait came to a stop.

His heart skipped a beat.

…Pyrrha.

Shinai.

Penny.

The Atlesian.

Sun…

Pyrrha.

The other portrait went still.

And out.

"Rainier Platina of Vale versus Shinai Kyani of Vale!" Professor Port called out, deep voice booming with excitement and pride.

The crowd exploded into a giddy roar, the Vale section in particular shooting to their feet as they cheered raucously for the upcoming fight, _seething_ with anticipation.

Breath refused to enter the faunus' lungs, his legs beginning to move on their own accord out of the hallway, into the arena to a new round of cheers… but not just for him though.

On the opposite side of the center platform, rising up the steps in near unison was Shinai himself, pale face unreadable, purple eyes hard as stone.

The two huntsmen continued to march towards each other in measured, equal steps, the noise of the crowd fading to near silence as they met in the center.

The samurai bowed low at a ninety-degree angle respectfully, before rising up, giving his friend a short nod.

Rainier simply returned the gesture shortly, hands gripping into tight, _tight_ fists at his side, working desperately to keep his breathing centered, his own face a mask of steel.

"Good luck." Shinai said, sliding his katana out of its sheathe ever-so slightly with his thumb.

The faunus was silent in response.

" _3_!"

* * *

Vegas grinned manically from his position in the stands, leaning forwards with utmost interest, flashing Emerald a wink dripping in excitement. His eyes locked with Cinder's own, her face a look of satisfaction, before turning back to the arena.

The killer gripped the bars in front of him, breath coming faster and faster in manic anticipation.

" _2_!"

* * *

The four Vale teams looked to each other with beaming grins.

"Ooooh!" Lance called out.

"This gon' be _good_!" Nora laughed.

Oracle threw a hand up. "Ten lien on the captain!"

"I'll take that bet, you're gonna reg _ret_!" Nash shot back, leaping to his feet.

"Daria?" Gail asked quietly, looking to her leader in concern.

Unlike her compatriots, Daria wasn't smiling. Her face had knit into a carefully guarded frown, leaning forwards on the edge of her seat, fist pressed up against her mouth, foot tapping anxiously on the ground.

"You okay, D?" Ruby asked as well, putting a hand onto her friend's shoulder.

The diminutive leader nodded hesitantly.

"You don't _look_ good." Blake said.

"I- I'm fine. It's nothing."

Weiss leaned towards her, face falling in a mix of suspicion and concern. "What's wrong with Rain, Daria?"

"I-"

" _1_!"

* * *

Shi En slid out of its sheathe ever-so more, brilliant steel blade glinting in the bright lights of the arena.

Rainier leaned away from his opponent, yellow orbs locked onto purple.

The two huntsmen released simultaneous breaths.

" _Begin_!"


	25. Chapter 9: Battle Against a True Pawn

**Chapter 9: Battle Against a True Pawn**

* * *

Rainier disappeared in a blur, Shinai backstepping quickly, Shi En ripped from its sheathe.

The silver smear that heralded the Vacuoan rounded the center platform, flanking the samurai with absurd speed, his purple eyes widening in surprise as he turned on his heel, lifting his blade to guard against any incoming attack.

The faunus, instead, leapt into the air, over Shinai's head, silver claws coming swiping down brutally, only missing as the samurai's katana lifted at the last moment, sliding the attack away, Rainier tumbling across the ground before shooting back to his feet.

The Vacuoan gave his opponent no time to recover, dashing back in, now nearly invisible with his speed, leaping up and spinning through the air, sending a kick at Shinai's face. The samurai deflected the blow away, teeth gritting together as he watched for any opening whatsoever.

Rainier didn't even hit the ground, his cannon firing and sending him back at the leader of SOUL, corkscrewing in the air- and passed his opponent, one hand reaching out and grabbing the loose cloth of Shinai's shirt. The faunus' feet touched down softly onto the ground, the huntsman using the momentum and extra force to hurl the samurai away.

Shinai hit the ground rolling, popping back up to his feet, katana held at the ready, face pulled up in a grimace. Across the platform, his friend rose completely to his feet, standing stiffly, pale yellow eyes accusatory.

"You're pulling your shots, samurai!" The Vacuoan barked. "Make this interesting, would you?!"

The samurai twirled his blade, face schooling itself back into its usual cool veneer. He let out a breath- and disappeared.

Rainier immediately leapt upwards, dodging the massive cloud of smoke amassing beneath him, gaze searching intently for his opponent. Like a blur of his own, Shinai's gauntleted hand rocketed from the purple smoke, grasping onto the faunus' ankle and dragging him back down, slamming into the tile below.

The Vacuoan's cannon fired, both huntsmen leaving the ground and flying back through the air, the samurai a short few feet behind. Rainier landed first, twirling quickly on his heel- right to the view of Shinai's boot soaring towards his face, backstepping to avoid it smoothly.

The samurai immediately sliced down with the waiting edge of Shi En, catching his friend cleanly across the chest. He struck out with his boot again, missing as Rainier ducked lowly, turning on his heel and taking Shinai's other foot out from under him. The leader of SOUL's shoulders had hardly hit the ground before he kipped back up to his feet, katana slicing through the air and narrowly missing his opponent.

The faunus, for his part, grabbed onto his opponent's wrist, tossing him away again with a spin- and then met Shinai in midair, seemingly appearing in front of the samurai in a heartbeat, Wolf's Claws colliding with his midsection, cannon firing, the impact sending Shinai hurling away again, narrowly avoiding sliding off of the main platform, katana buried into the ground to stop his momentum. His purple gaze quickly looked up to Rainier's face, more calculating than injured.

The Vacuoan took the opportunity to look up to the billboard high above- then gasped, face falling.

"You- _CHEATER_!" He roared, pointing up angrily at the duo's portraits- to his yellow aura bar; and Shinai's still very green bar, barely dented. "So that's how you did it, hm?! You cheated?! You rigged the game?!"

Shinai's gaze shot up to the billboard, face still nonplussed. "Are you just going to sit there and whine about it, wolf?"

* * *

"What… are you talking about?" Shinai called out to his friend, rising to his feet.

The Vale huntsmen's eyes all shot to the large screen in question, frowning at the duel lime-yellow bars of aura.

"What the hell _is_ he talking about?" Lance asked out loud to no one in particular.

"Daria?" Ruby asked quietly, looking at her friend.

The diminutive huntress in question's face had fallen in horror. "Oh no." She whispered.

"Daria?" Jaune echoed. "What's Rainier doing?"

"And, _seriously_ , he was fast- but this? I can't even follow him anymore!" Lance added, throwing his hands up.

"What's happening to Rain?" Weiss continued on, voice stern.

The leader of DRGN bit her lip, shaking her head slightly. "He's… he's got this. He's okay, guys… I… think."

* * *

Rainier let out a bitter laugh, marching towards his rival, beaming smile not hiding the fury burning in his eyes. "Oho _ho_! I'm going to send you back to SOUL on a stretcher, my friend!"

Then he was gone again.

Shinai hissed in a breath as he whirled around, Shi En held at the ready to defend from the ridiculously fast faunus- only for Rainier to reappear in a rush of wind inside the samurai's guard, coldly furious gaze meeting Shinai's own cool visage. The Vacuoan's fist came up to bury itself into the samurai's ribs, the breath rushing from his lungs as he slid away.

Rainier dashed forwards to push his advantage, leaping and sending a spinning kick at the samurai, metal meeting metal as Shinai's bracer came up defending against the blow. The Vacuoan fell, hitting the ground, before immediately shooting back up, flipping horizontally, sliver claws aiming for the crown of Shinai's head. The samurai side-stepped the attack, Rainier landing onto his hands and knees- Shi En's point coming crashing down, narrowly missing, burying the steel blade into the tile as the faunus rolled away.

Shinai's katana slid out of the ground smoothly, twirling in a gleaming arc towards his opponent's midsection. Rainier, though, spun on his shoulders, silver claws kicking the blade away, before he pushed off the ground, kick aimed at his rival's face, hitting cleanly, the samurai soaring away with the aided impact of the cannon shot.

Rainier dashed away again, meeting his opponent halfway across the platform- only for the samurai to disappear into smoke again, shrouding the huntsmen in darkness. The faunus grit his teeth with a growl, waving the smoke out of his face as he whirred on his heel- only for the bite of Shi En to rip into his side, before-

Poof.

The smoke came anew, the faunus making to leap away to the rest of the platform- stopping in midair as a hand grasped his ankle, bringing him back down, and then back into the smoke with a-

Poof.

Shinai fell through the billowing tower of purple, katana slicing across the prone Vacuoan's back, rolling across the ground, then back to his feet, bottom of his boot catching Rainier across the face, the faunus stumbling backwards- and nearly falling from the platform to the outside below, the audience sucking in a breath.

The Vacuoan never fell though, Shinai's free hand reaching out and grabbing him by the front of his shirt, hurling him back through the smoke to the center of the platform on the other side.

Rainier sat up with a scowl. "Yes, the great hero, Shinai! Never one to let a fight end without honor- but you and I both know not even the great Shinai Kyani is _this_ resilient!" He barked, gesturing wildly back at the billboard high above, shoulders rising and falling as he huffed with indignation, fury, and… embarrassment.

* * *

Shinai marched from the smoke, purple eyes lighting up in indignation of his own, the tip of Shi En crashing against the tile, a glower painted across his face. "How _dare_ you?! You question _my_ honor?! I have fought and trained for _my entire life_ to achieve what I have! And you _dare?!_ You know not the first _thing_ of honor!"

"Post fight stress..." Ruby muttered under her breath, staring with narrowed eyed confusion at the combatants below. No one but Daria heard the quiet huntress, though, in the midst of the roaring of the crowd- the shorter huntress pursed her lips, hands clenched into fists as she searched her friend's eyes for _anything_.

"Guys?" Nash asked quietly, curled into his seat and looking... distinctly afraid. "Is Rain gonna hurt the Cap'n?"

"No-" Oracle said quickly. "They... just... got some stuff to work out." She finished, voice not quite confident of her words.

Lance gave her a furrowed-browed side eye, gritting his teeth as he stared at his friends.

* * *

Shinai marched from the smoke, purple eyes ice cold as he stared at his opponent, the tip of Shi En tapping against the tile. His face was stonily still, lips pulled in a tight, unimpressed line; not a drop of sweat falling across his skin. He raised a bored eyebrow. "If I was cheating- would it matter? Do you think you could actually beat me?"

The faunus roared in fury and charged forwards again, leaping into the air, then crashing back down, gripping the samurai's face tightly in one hand and, with all of the might he could muster, hefted him up to slam him back down into the ground with the cacophonous shattering of tile, dust flying into the air.

Shinai, though, immediately twisted from his position, wrapping his legs around Rainier's outstretched limb, and twirled, sending his opponent slamming backfirst into the ground. The samurai expertly rolled to his feet, heavy swipe of his katana aimed towards the faunus' throat, missing as Rainier's Wolf's Claws came up, booting the blade away, before spinning on the ground, looking to take Shinai's legs out from under him. The samurai leapt, tucking his knees into his chest, and swiped with his blade as he came down, carving a decent rivet into the silver of Rainer's leg.

The Vale huntsman didn't let up, grasping onto said offending limb, and teleporting away, reappearing in the air, swinging wildly, the faunus crashing back down to the tile below-

Only to land on both feet, and, with a scowl, leapt back upwards with a cannon shot, meeting the falling samurai in the air, claws swinging at Shinai's ribs. The samurai caught the limb with his sword hand, lashing out with the heel of his palm, crashing it against Rainier's nose with a satisfying crunch. The Vacuoan recoiled before reaching up with his other leg, crashing his knee into the side of his rival's face, both huntsmen gaining speed as they fell faster and faster, careening towards the earth below.

Finally, the faunus extricated himself from the hold, spinning so that he was above Shinai- and planted both feet into the samurai's chest, lashing out and firing with his cannon, sending the samurai careening down towards the tile below, a massive cloud of dust flying from the impact.

Rainier roared in fury as he fell, corkscrewing faster and faster- catching a glimpse of Shinai's wide, purple eyes, and the grimace planted onto his face- before impacting with a raucous explosion.

* * *

The gathered teens watched in varying degrees of shock at the massive dust cloud enveloping the center platform, the majority of their eyes shooting towards the remaining members of DRGN.

" _Daria_!" Oracle barked. "What the hell?!"

"I don't know!" The girl in question snapped back, scowling at her friends.

"I've never seen Rainier raise his voice, not even at me, or even at the White Fang," Blake muttered. "This… he sounds like he hates Shinai."

"I…" Pyrrha began, looking completely unsure of herself. "Daria, how long has Rainier been talking about Shinai? Has he ever talked to you about Shinai?"

"I… he first mentioned him to me before the tournament began."

"But?" Jaune prodded.

"…But I… think that this thing's been going on since nearly the school year began."

"So this… hate-boner's just been festering for nearly a damn year?" Lance asked, leaning forwards and frowning.

"I didn't know it was this bad!" The short leader of DRGN barked back. "He- he talked to me about needing to face Shinai but- I didn't think he'd lose it like this."

"Guys." Gail said quietly, pointing back to the battlefield below.

* * *

Rainier stumbled to his feet, scowling in fury, jacket lost somewhere on the battlefield, looking for any sign of the samurai at all, wheeling around as he tried to see through the cloud of dust.

Poof.

The faunus quickly ducked the swipe aimed at the nape his neck, Shinai overextending himself ever so slightly, purple gaze meeting Rainier's yellow, filled with understanding-

The Vacuoan's claws collided with the side of Shinai's face, a gunshot breaking through the silence. The samurai flew through the air like a bullet of his own, tumbling wildly as he attempted to right himself-

To no avail, body soaring over the edge of the platform, falling to the outside below… only to jerk to a stop, a hand gripping his ankle tightly, then went tumbling back to the center platform. He pushed himself onto his hands, staring at the back of Rainier, the faunus' shoulders slumped.

After a brief moment, the Vacuoan turned, marching back towards his opponent. "I thought you were the greatest. I thought you were the most talented, the most skilled! You were my mountain to hurdle, _my_ dragon to slay! You were my triumph! And yet, here we are! I'm the villain, and you- you're the godsdamned hero, here to stop the frenzied Vacuoan faunus. It's-" He trailed off as Shinai rose to his feet-

Looking totally poised, stance resolute, face still its stony expression, purple eyes ice cold.

Looking as if he hadn't been fighting for more than a minute.

His scowl found its way back to Rainier's face, fists clenching at his side. "If it's the last thing I do at this school, I'm the _only one_ walking away from this."

On cue, the two huntsmen began marching back towards each other, slowly picking up speed, before charging forwards in near unified sprints.

Rainier struck first, twirling to the side, Wolf's Claws sent towards Shinai's midsection, missing as the samurai caught the limb, spinning both he and the faunus away. The Vacuoan fired his cannon, freeing himself from his opponent's grip and sliding away. They dashed towards each other again, the samurai swiping downwards with Shi En, only for the blade to get pushed down towards the ground, silver claws of the faunus forcing the tip of the blade against the tile, the heel of his other foot swinging through the air to crack against the samurai's jaw, sending the Vale huntsman stumbling away.

They both righted themselves quickly clashing again, Rainier sending out a flurry of kicks with both legs, crashing them against the outside of Shinai's arms, the samurai grunting from the blows as he did his best to defend himself from the onslaught-

Before finding an opening, ducking so that the faunus' natural leg hit the base of his neck, brushing the blow off as much as he could, free hand reaching up to latch onto the offending limb, and spun, crashing Rainier face first into the shattered tile below, cartwheeling over his fallen opponent, then quickly swiped at the back of the Vacuoan's neck, the force of the blow sending the faunus back down onto the ground, sliding several feet away.

Shinai immediately charged after him, Shi En held at the ready- right into the soles of Rainier's feet, the faunus shifting so that he was balanced onto his hands, leaping upwards and kicking out at his opponent's face, a cannon shot sending the samurai tumbling up and away, flipping through the air.

Rainier spun to his feet, moving to charge forwards- and stumbled. He looked down at himself and growled in irritation.

" _You stupid meat-suit, don't quit now_ ," He muttered, flexing his muscles and hopping in place, trying to shake the pain and exhaustion from his limbs. "Just a little longer."

His gaze turned to the billboard high above, to Shinai's still bright yellow bar of aura, and his own dangerously orange bar. Resolve flooded back through him, and he grit his teeth together determinedly, dashing away again.

Shinai looked up quickly at the telltale rush of wind that heralded Rainier, the airborne faunus glaring down at his rival before forearming him stiffly as he fell, the samurai turning with the blow- then continued to turn, using the extra momentum to spin around the Vacuoan, Shi En swiping out against his opponent's back smoothly.

Both huntsmen turned on their heels in unison, dual kicks flying through the air- both hitting their marks, mirrored attacks crashing into the other's jaw, gazes meeting again-

Furious gold meeting detached purple.

The two slid away from each other, a few yards away, then immediately stepped back towards one another, mirrored fists meeting their targets, the ground beneath them carving away into a small crater from the brutal impacts. Rainier recovered first, leaping up and planting both feet into Shinai's chest, firing and sending the two huntsmen soaring away from one another, falling towards opposite sides of the center platform.

Agonizingly slowly, they began to pick themselves up to their feet, gazes meeting again; Rainier's form slouched as his adrenaline began to wane, pain and exertion taking him. And Shinai; still poised as ever, tip of his katana coming down to rest against the tile, cool purple eyes uncaring.

And yet, a smile slowly began to claim Rainier's face, and his form relaxed, the faunus leaning back in his more trademark nonchalance. He lifted a finger and pointed at his rival coyly, wagging it side to side. "You can stand there all you like. You can feign disinterest, talk your trash," His grin widened, tension flooding from his face. "But we both know that I've _taken it_ to you! You're hurting just as much as I am! Play your games all you'd like, Mr. Kyani-

We both know that we. Are. _Equals_. If I'm to lose this fight, then so be it; I've still _won_."

Shinai stared back in his pure stoniness, unflinching from the words sent his way.

And as Rainier blinked, the samurai went from standing straight, and proud, unblemished from the fight-

To hunched over just the same as the faunus, face a mask of exhaustion, using the tip of Shi En to hold himself up rightly as he could, shoulders rising and falling with his huffs.

Rainier blinked again, surprise coloring his visage, and his gaze shot back to the billboard high above; to his and Shinai's matching dark orange bars. He swallowed hard as he turned back to the fight, shaking his head, one hand placed to his temple as a splitting headache began to overtake him.

* * *

Vegas' face fell in shock, golden eyes widening as he gripped the bar in front of him tightly. His gaze snapped over to Emerald's own exhausted eyes. " _What is happening?!"_ He hissed through grit teeth, seething in quiet rage.

Cinder's burning eyes locked onto his own, and her voice cut through his earpiece with _cold_ finality. "It's over. The wolf gave up. Let it go, Gold. There are other fights."

He huffed, beginning to tremble for a long moment, before shooting to his feet, storming from the stands to the backstage halls, blood falling between his fingers, hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. He'd barely rounded the corner before he turned on his heel, punching the wall with all of his might, cracks spider-webbing from the impact as he let out a roar the melted into the crowd's own.

* * *

Rainier began to walk closer to Shinai- then stopped halfway. He bowed with a flourish, swaying slightly in place before righting himself. He sent the samurai another grin. "Very good, my friend! Shall we?"

The Vale huntsman rose to his feet, cracking his neck to the side, bringing Shi En back up with a twirl. "Never. Question my honor again."

And he nodded irritatedly once.

The rivals rushed towards each other again, Rainier gliding over the tiles with a beaming grin planted onto his face, meeting in the center of the platform, dishing out a flurry of blows to one another-

Rainier planting a kick to Shinai's ribs, Shinai immediately countering back with a slice to the small of the faunus' back; the Vacuoan turning on his heel, letting loose an onslaught of punches, the Vale huntsman blocking and countering, before going on his own offensive, the duo going back and forth as the crowd rose to a roaring boiling point.

The two huntsmen collided forearms with one another, the force of the impact sending them sliding away. Shinai brought his blade back up with a flourish, swinging towards the base of the faunus' neck swiftly. Rainier brought his claws up faster, booting the offending limb away, before turning on his heel, the claws of the mechanical limb careening towards the samurai's own throat in a whirlwind backwards kick. The Vale huntsman lashed out with his forearms again, slamming them into the silver armor of the weapon, sending it back down towards the ground.

Rainier spun the opposite direction, point of his elbow nearly making contact, before Shinai ducked it- and ate a vicious angled headbutt to the nose as he rose back to his feet. The faunus immediately followed up with a more successful elbow to his friend's sternum, getting him to double over slightly, before following up with a vicious uppercut. The Vacuoan took the opportunity to leap into the air, his sneaker first meeting the same spot as his elbow, and then twirled, Wolf's Claws meeting Shinai's jaw as a cannon shot separated the two again.

The faunus fell to the ground, the samurai tumbling away from him, both laying in the shattered debris of the platform, the crowd cheering loudly enough to mask any sound on the battlefield far below.

Ever so slowly, the two warriors began to push themselves to their knees, bodies quaking in exertion; Shinai on one knee, trembling arms using Shi En to right himself; Rainier simply on both, leaning backwards as he looked to the night sky above in exhaustion. Their gazes rose and fell to each other respectively, and a smile claimed itself anew across the faunus' face.

He lifted a finger, chuckling quietly. "One last time?" He asked quietly, face awash with anticipation.

Shinai stared at him for a moment; before shaking his head, enunciating back as obviously as he could. " _This_ ," He gestured between them. "Isn't over. But…" he bowed his head. "…One more time."

The two huntsmen shared one last deep breath, and then shot to their feet like matching bullets- and charged towards each other; Shinai with Shi En held to the side, at the ready, and Rainier disappearing in a vague blur of movement.

As quickly as they met in the center of the platform, they had passed each other with the briefest sounds of contact.

The two huntsmen huffed in exhaustion as they stared passed the edges of the center platform to the crowd beyond, gazes simply taking in the colosseum around them, purple and yellow eyes awestruck for the moment; their back towards each other, the arena falling into a bated hush.

Slowly, Rainier's head dipped, shaking from side to side. He grinned broadly, face one of satisfaction. "Well played, Kyani. Well played."

And then he collapsed onto the ground.

"YOUR WINNER!" Professor Port called out in a roar. "SHINAI! KYANI! OF VALE!"

The crowd exploded into a new round of excitement, the Vacuoan crowd letting loose a torrent of streamers to the center platform below, the vast majority of which matched the silver of Rainier's gear.

Shinai stared forwards for a moment, tension and adrenaline rushing from him; before collapsing face first himself, barely conscious, the crowd continuing to roar in complete approval. After a long few moments, he slowly pushed himself back to his feet with the aid of Shi En, trembling in place for a moment, before beginning to lurch back to the arena's backstage halls.

And then he stopped, turning over his shoulder to look at the form of Rainier, muscles quaking as he pushed himself to his hands and knees, then spun to land onto his rear, sitting quietly as he looked around at the raucous crowd with teary yellow eyes.

The samurai turned on his heel, and began to stumble towards his opponent. Rainier didn't look at him as he approached, not even acknowledging him as Shinai sat down next to him, the crowd's roar beginning anew in respect to the two fighters.

Shinai and Rainier stared out at Amity Colosseum quietly for a moment, before the samurai reached over, wrapping an arm around Rainier's head, and pulling him into a one-armed hug.

"...Well fought, Platina." The samurai said huskily, voice wavering with tire.

Rainier pulled away, looking at his rival warily- and then smiled. "You as well, samurai."

"We _will_ be having words about your conduct in this fight."

Without another word, he grabbed onto Shinai's wrist and lifted his arm into the air, head bowed, the crowd's sustained cheer never once dying down. After a long moment, the samurai and the faunus pulled themselves to their feet, arms thrown over each other's shoulders as they began to heft each other away from the center platform, dragging one another to the locker rooms waiting.

* * *

Shinai and Rainier rounded the corner and ran immediately into a dual one-armed hug from Daria; the short girl leaping up, grabbing onto their heads, and pulling them down to her level.

"I hate you two." She muttered, before backing up, grasping onto the faunus' hand and squeezing it tightly, brown eyes searching his own yellow in concern.

The two finalists extricated themselves from each other, standing in place as their friends all began to swarm them.

"You two- dumb, badass douchebags," Lance spat, copying Daria's gesture, planting an exaggerated kiss onto Shinai's temple. "You were killin' me out there! And _you!_ " He jostled Rainier roughly. "What the _hell_ was the first two thirds of that fight?!"

"Oh," The Vacuoan chuckled. "Just letting out a little bit of frustration."

"Daria's got it right. I hate you two."

Pyrrha gave the two finalists as much of a smile as she could manage, floating around outside the group of friends, green eyes heavy with… _something_.

Shinai opened his mouth, preparing to talk to her, before quickly being cut off-

As Nora let out a scream, charging forwards to hug both of them, lifting the two finalists into the air. "THAT! WAS! _AWESOME_!"

"Thank you, Nora!" Rainier squeaked. "Please put us down!"

She let them drop to the ground, manic smile still planted onto her face. "I mean, you were, like, totally insane for most of it but it was _such good insanity_! I thought you were going to try to _kill_ him!"

Rainier said nothing, smile wavering slightly, a touch of regret filling his hazy eyes.

And then Weiss stepped forwards, gingerly wrapping her arms around Rainier's neck, hugging as tightly as she thought he could handle, leaning into his ear. "I'm so proud of you." She said quietly, just loudly enough for the two of them to hear.

His breath hitched, and the returned the hug, burying his face into the nape of her neck silently; simply holding her closely for a moment.

Daria took the opportunity to make eye contact with Oracle, inclining her head pointedly the couples' way.

"Oh," The gunslinger said- before her eyes widened in shock. "Oh!"

Lance grinned and threw an arm over her shoulder. "Nothing nice to say?"

"About-"

" _About the captain_." Lance cut in pointedly, giving her a warning gaze.

"Oh- yea, _course_ ," A grin found its way to Oracle's face, and she gave Shinai a hug of his own. "You looked like a champ out there, captain."

"Thank you." The samurai said quietly, giving her a small, one-armed hug in return.

She leaned back, and hit his shoulder. "But next time you and wolfie wanna give me a heart attack, make sure it's not with a death fight, alright?"

Ulysses' attention, however, was on Rainier, looking over Weiss' shoulder at him. "Platina," He mumbled.

The faunus looked up from his embrace, blinking at the hulking teen owlishly. "I… yes?"

The ebony-haired huntsman nodded once. "Good job."

Rainier's face began to rise in to a smile, mouth moving to form a thank you- and then he caught the knowing look in Ulysses' eye. His lips formed themselves into a tight line instead, and he simply nodded back singularly, a moment of recognition passing between the two huntsmen.

Ruby grinned broadly as she squeezed between Weiss and the faunus. "So, was that what you were talking about? Making your own breaks?"

The Vacuoan did a double take, eyes shifting to the Atlesian heiress', before back down to the young leader of RWBY. "Wh- _oh_! Oh, of course it was. What else?"

"I don't know," Blake muttered from her spot leaning against the wall, a smile of her own playing on her face. "Maybe it has something to do with Weiss."

The aforementioned Atlesian's face reddened. "Oh, don't be churlish, Blake!"

"And that's _exactly_ what I was talking about." Rainier muttered to her with a coy grin.

"You're not off to a good start, mister."

Ruby blinked in confusion. "I- wha- I don't get it."

"Oh," Nash hummed. "Weiss and Rainier are kissing in a tree; k-i-s-s-i-"

" _Nash_." Rainier said gently.

"But it's true!"

Jaune shook his head. "You're blind to everything else in the world- except for that."

"I always know wha's goin' on with Rain and Daria."

"You're… unbelievable, little guy."

The four teams continued to talk amongst themselves for another few moments- before Rainier and Shinai's gazes met the other's.

The samurai nodded once, slowly. The faunus nodded back.

And that was all that needed to be said.

* * *

Ruby's eyes widened in shock, a tiny gasp spilling from her lips. Daria looked over to her. "Rubes?"

"Emerald's… here?" The leader of RWBY whispered, staring across the arena to the Mistrali section on the other side.

Daria frowned, following her gaze. "What?"

"I'll- I'll be right back." She said quickly, shooting to her feet and rushing from the stands, disappearing from sight.

The rest of the teens watched her go, eyes turning to Daria.

"What was that all about?" Jaune asked.

"I- she said that… Emerald was still here?"

Oracle turned to the leader of DRGN, green eyes pleading. "Daria?"

The diminutive huntress nodded, rising and following after Ruby- right into the closed door of a maintenance tunnel. She frowned and threw it open, turning the corner and marching down the hallway- following the sound of voices.

"Mercury?" Ruby called out in shock.

* * *

The rest of the remaining Vale huntsman, some having left the Colosseum before the fight began for a handful of different reasons, watched the two huntresses go.

"Lance," Oracle muttered. "Go find security."

"On it." The blonde swordsman said resolutely, shooting to his feet and marching off.

The gunslinger leaned forwards anxiously, staring down at the battlefield below, hands folded in front of her face.

"Alright, it's now time to begin the randomization process for our next fight!" Oobleck called out.

All eyes watched the billboard begin to pick the next opponents.

"It looks like our first contender is… Penny Polendina from Atlas!"

* * *

Daria rounded the bend of the hallway- and stared at Ruby and Mercury squaring off, the silver-haired huntsman smirking.

"What- what the hell?" She called out, marching forwards to step up to her friend, glaring the Mistrali down.

"Ooh…" He prodded. "Now I'm really scared. But…"

" _And her opponent will be… Pyrrha Nikos from Beacon!"_ Port called out.

Ruby's eyes widened in horror. " _No_ …" She whispered.

Mercury tsked. "Ooh, polarity versus metal… that could be bad."

Daria looked back and from between them. "Ruby- what is he talking about?"

The criminal grinned. "Oh, you'll want to see this next part, kid. Last fight might have been a dud, but Em's got the _perfect_ set up for this next one."

Ruby went to pull her Crescent Rose out- and grasped nothing but air. Daria similarly looked down to her belt where her Infinitas would hang, eyes widening in realization.

Mercury crouched low with a vicious, smug grin.

* * *

The crowd cheered as Penny and Pyrrha and made their way to the center platforms; Penny grinning broadly as she waved at the crowd happily, and Pyrrha, looking downtrodden, face a mask of misery, form slumped as she met her opponent in the middle.

* * *

Rainier sighed, smiling at Remy. "So what did they say?"

The older Platina grunted. "Mother's a sobbing mess. Father… he said that to tell you that you did good. And… he was proud. But that he was also concerned."

"Father? Concerned? For me? Get out."

"Oh, shut it. Just take his pride and get over yourself."

Despite the barbed words, the two faunus shared a smile.

"So? What did you think?" Rainier continued, prodding.

Remy sighed. "…I think you're an idiot for coming out here, and you could have just gone to Shade and probably won this damn thing, but… you looked like a damn good White Wolf out there-"

"I'm not taking your duties, you know that?" The younger Vacuoan said with a chuckle.

"As if. You'd piss it away the first chance some pretty girl caught your eye."

They chuckled together as they continued to march around Amity's inner hallways aimlessly. "So," Rainier began. "You're leaving, I take it."

"Tomorrow… you know, the ship's got room for two. I can take you home, for the winter, at least."

The younger faunus sighed. "I'm not sure… I'll… call you tomorrow, when I figure it out."

"Suit yourself."

"3 _! 2! 1! Begin_!" Port's voice rang out.

"Oh!" Rainier called out with a start. "The next fight's on. I didn't even hear who it was."

"Some Atlesian girl and Nikos," Remy mumbled, massive arms crossed over his chest. "I'll skip this one. Gonna head back into town. You comin'?"

"I… no, I'm alright. I think I'm going to give my friends a call, see where they are. I'll… see you tomorrow, Remy."

The two brothers clasped forearms. "Tomorrow, then."

The White Wolf nodded and set off without another word, making his way resolutely back towards the shuttles ferrying people to and fro the colosseum. Rainier, for his part, simply leaned against the wall, a content smile painted on his face as he listened to the crowd roar around him.

* * *

Penny lifted her arms, several swords floating from her backpack to surround her, letting the blades float around her for a moment before hurling them at Pyrrha, the Mistrali huntress parrying them away, the gleaming steel of the weapons shining in the light as they twirled through the air- before coming to a stop, shooting back towards their wielder's opponent.

* * *

Mercury's smirk deepened as he stared at the two leaders. "Showtime."

Daria immediately turned on her heel, moving to run the direction she had come from as fast as she could. The killer, though, lifted a foot, letting loose a bullet that found its mark, colliding with the diminutive huntress' shoulder, sending her wheeling around.

Ruby took the opportunity to try and soar passed the criminal, turning into a blur of red and rose petals- and charged directly into Mercury's waiting kick, colliding with her midsection and snatching her out of the air. The young huntress immediately fished her Scroll from her pocket, finger raised to phone for help-

Only for another bullet to pass through it, the gunshot silenced by the crowd above. The device shattered into worthless glass, falling to the floor.

"Let's just keep this between us friends, huh?"

He looked passed Ruby- to the furious glaring face of Daria, her warm brown eyes closed.

On cue, a brilliant golden light filled the hallway, Mercury throwing a hand up to his eyes as he let out a yell of surprise and pain.

The Mistrali huntress had already turned on her heel, dead sprinting the way she came.

* * *

Pyrrha stared Penny down, javelin held taught in her hand, swiping it in broad swings, battering her fellow redhead's swords away with ease for a moment- before a sword found its way passed her guard, slashing across her torso, and getting her to somersault quickly away, javelin falling for a brief moment before shooting right back into her hand.

The Mistrali star glowered, losing herself in the fight as she charged forwards, leaping into the air to plant her boots on one of the soaring blades, falling through the air with a heavy swing of her javelin. The Atlesian ginger simply brought up a makeshift shield of swords, blocking the attack with ease, one blade peeling away to strike back at her opponent.

The slice missed as Pyrrha vaulted away, landing hard onto the tile floor, both girls backing away for a brief moment, more and more blades continuing to slash at the taller huntress, who was simply doing her best to defend against the onslaught, slowly being pushed back for a moment, before her shield flew from her back to her hand, letting her batter and parry the swords away much more efficiently.

The crowd cheered at the expert swordswoman, the Mistrali and Vale sections roaring approvingly, while the Atlas crowd leaned forwards expectantly.

* * *

Oracle frowned, looking around anxiously. "Jaune?"

The blonde swordsman jolted, turning worried blue eyes to her. "Y-yeah?"

"What's happening down there?"

"I-"

"Pyrrha looks terrified."

"I- I don't know. I don't know."

"C'mon, Jaune, she's got this!" Nora cried out, punching his shoulder.

"She does," Ren added. "Have some faith."

"Where…" Nash said quietly, turning to Oracle with a concerned frown. "Where's Rubes and Daria?"

* * *

Daria didn't stop running, panicked brown eyes flitting back and forth from the hall in front of her, to the hall behind her, cursing under her breath as she tried in vain to remember which door she came from.

"Dammit!" She snapped as she stared into a janitor's closet, slamming the door shut in irritation before taking off again. "Come on- come on-"

She skid to a stop as the roar of the crowd spilled out from one of the doors. The leader of DRGN threw it open, rushing out to the stands beyond, wide eyes looking around at the cheering spectators around her. She whirled around, looking in vain to find her friends;

Before her eyes settled on Pyrrha and Penny far below.

"PENNY, _PYRRHA_!" She screamed out, voice drowned out.

"I KNOW, RIGHT?" A tanned skin teen cried back at her, goofy grin splitting his face as he shook a 'shaka' gesture at her.

Daria let out a scream of frustration as she continued to run on, dashing through the stands as much as she could, her Scroll held in hand, trying in vain to reach _anybody_.

And then someone picked up.

" _Hello_?" Rainier asked. " _Where are you? Where are_ any _of you_?"

"RAIN!" She cried out.

" _Daria?! What's_ -"

"You have to find someone- something's going down, and it's not good! The fight's are rigged, Pyrrha's going to kill Penny!"

" _I'm sorry_ , what?"

"JUST FIND SOMEONE!"

* * *

Pyrrha spun away from the swords swinging at her, charging forwards towards her opponent, deflecting whatever blades she couldn't simply dodge, closing the distance to Penny in just a short few moments.

The Mistrali huntress let loose a flurry of slashes with her spear, the shorter redhead going flying back from the blows, Pyrrha simply batting away the blades sent her away, pushing her advantage.

Penny slid to a stop, raising her hands, several of her swords forming the ever familiar cannons around her, green lasers pooling in their midsts- before firing at the champion huntress.

Pyrrha slid around the beams of light, parrying away any swords that came to close as she effortlessly continued her offensive, javelin shifting into her short sword; a victorious smile crept across her face as she reached her opponent- and then halted, eyes unfocusing as she swayed for a moment.

The Atlesian immediately took advantage, cannons firing her into the air above the Mistrali, before falling in a blur of steel and green light, bashing into her taller opponent and sending her tumbling away.

Pyrrha rolled to her feet, sword and shield at the ready- but not ready enough, two blades flying through the air to smash against her weapons, sending them tumbling away, the huntress concentrating for a brief moment to draw them back into her hands. On a dime, she stopped the effort, instead using her polarity to send a stray sword flying back towards the Atlesian's side.

Penny smiled and cocked her neck from side to side, lifting her arms and letting a handful more swords rise from her backpack.

Pyrrha's eyes widened, though, face falling in abject terror as she stumbled away from her opponent, hands raised as if to futilely defend herself.

* * *

Rainier stared at his Scroll for a brief moment, mind whirring- before disappearing, dashing away as fast as his exhausted limbs could carry him. The faunus raced through the Colosseum's halls, ascending higher and higher, looking as quickly as he could for his destination.

The Vacuoan skid to a stop, silver claws throwing sparks up into the air as he slammed his shoulder into the door of the announcer's booth, following up with balled fists against its metal exterior.

"STOP!" He barked. "Someone- _let me in_!"

The door opened, and General James Ironwood glared down at the faunus.

"Platina," He muttered. "You're making a scene. What's-"

"You have to stop the fight!" Rainier cried, waving the elder huntsman off.

The Atlesian blinked. " _What_?"

"I- I'm not sure the specifics, but you have to stop this! It's rigged, someone or something is rigging these fights!"

Ironwood's eyes hardened. "You need to explain yourself, _immediately_."

"What's wrong with Penny?!"

" _What_?!"

"Why would Pyrrha want to kill her?!"

"I don't-" And then the General's eyes widened, turning on his heel to Port and Oobleck. "What's Nikos' semblance?!"

"Polarity?" Port muttered, holding a hand over the microphone, a frown painted onto his face.

Ironwood's face paled in realization. " _No_."

* * *

Oracle's green eyes widened as she turned to the leader of JNPR. "Jaune?!"

The swordsman shot to his feet, cupping his hands around his mouth. "PYRRHA!" He roared, trying desperately to get his dear friend's attention.

* * *

Pyrrha continued to back away, looking around in horror at seemingly nothing, curling into herself in pure terror. Penny smirked and threw her arms forwards, the dozen swords flying at the Mistrali champion.

The taller finalist steeled herself, letting out a scream of fury and desperation, waving her hands, a wave of thick, black energy flying from her at the swords. The blades stopped in their tracks, then turned on a dime, following the wave of energy back towards Penny, the Atlesian's green-blue eyes widening in shock.

The same black energy that surrounded the swords wrapped around her, the girl freezing in place, hunched over herself as the swords went flying wildly passed her.

Pyrrha's eyes widened as she watched the metal strings attached to the handful of blades begin to wrap around the arms and body of Penny, her limbs going taught from the tension of the strings-

And where they wrapped, her body crumpled with ease, the grinding of metal filling the now deafeningly quiet arena.

Then Penny's body severed into two, top and bottom halves falling to the floor; sparking wires and circuits hidden within the opened wounds, the motionless pieces of the android falling to the floor amidst a rain of blades and cloth.

Pyrrha stood in pure shock, green eyes widened in horror, body going limp as she stared at the remains of her opponent, breath refusing to enter her lungs.

The pupils of Penny's eyes slowly widened, the bright green-blue tint of her irises going dark as the crowd watched on in stunned silence.

* * *

The inhabitants of the announcer's booth all watched the events below in quiet shock, Ironwood and Rainier slowly walked further into the room, staring through the glass to the combatants down below.

"She's… a robot." The Vacuoan breathed in shock.

* * *

Daria skid to a stop, standing in the sea of horrified contestants, brown eyes staring down at Pyrrha and Penny, her breath hitching as she went limp, jaw quivering as she stared on.

* * *

Across the screens of the arena, the feed cut from the view of the huntsmen, to a sea of red; a black queen chess piece sitting firmly in the middle. After a moment, the feed went back to the live view of Pyrrha and the remains of Penny.

" _This is not a tragedy_ ," Cinder called out over the intercom. " _This was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both."_

* * *

Rainier's pale yellow eyes went hard as he turned to Ironwood, the general himself gritting his teeth together. Slowly, the faunus backed towards the exit, then disappeared in a blur, descending down to find his friends.

* * *

" _They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference."_

Gail and Ulysses stared at the screen alongside one of Beacon's walkways, dark eyes meeting before gluing themselves back to the feed from the Colosseum.

* * *

" _And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither."_

Shinai stared at his Scroll, hands clenched together tightly, teeth gritting against each other as he rose to his feet, turning the screen off, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

" _Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves."_

Remy's face twisted into a furious glare, pale yellow eyes staring at the screen on his ship's dashboard- and he turned the vehicle around, rocketing back towards the waiting decks of Amity.

* * *

" _As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is... equally undesirable. Our Kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark,_

 _So I ask you: when the first shots are fired… who do you think you can trust?"_

The feed cut to static, Cinder's voice disappearing.

Oracle shot to her feet, running as fast as she could to the hallways, ignoring the shocked looks of her fellow bystanders as she reached the just as quiet halls, fishing her Scroll from her pocket and desperately searching for Lance's contact.

The line refused to even ring, giving her the telltale low beeping sound before silence again. She let out a scream of frustration, hurling her Scroll away.

" _Alert. Incoming grimm attack. Threat level: nine. Please seek shelter in a calm and orderly manner_." A mechanical voice droned over the intercom.

Like one, the crowd exploded into a panic, the bystanders shooting to their feet as they tried to rush passed one another to flee the Colosseum.

Oracle shouldered her way through the mob of people, throwing punches and elbows as she saw fit, trying desperately to get back to the stadium proper.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, please! There is no need to panic!"_ Ironwood's voice called out, taught with tension.

The gunslinger made her way back to the stands- and then turned her attention up, to the barrier forming the Colosseum's dome;

And the hulking Nevermore slamming into it- leaping up, then crashing back down, cracks forming across its surface.

" _Gods_." She whispered.

"ORACLE!"

She turned to the familiar voice, Lance charging towards her, throwing his arms around her.

"Lance!" She cried back. "Where are the others?!"

"I don't know- but I see the friggin' ugly ass bird up there- we gotta go!"

"Not without the others!"

Lance nodded frantically. "Yeah, that's fair!"

* * *

Gold hummed to himself, pulling his hood back over his head as he stared up at the frantically fleeing ships shooting from the Colosseum's docks; and the hulking Atlesian warships just a few hundred feet from it, dozens of smaller ships flying out to engage the hordes of grimm soaring in, the sky almost black with them, without mentioning those stuck to the ground, ripping through Vale's defenses with ease.

And then his Scroll beeped pleasantly, the criminal raising it up and answering it with a raised brow.

Staring at him, was a pale skinned girl with delicate features, one eye dark brown, while the other was a pale pink- the opposite of her hair, one half pink, the other brown. A pleasant smile was planted on her face, and she wordlessly tossed the Scroll away.

The screen raised back up- and Roman Torchwick grinned through his cigar at Vegas. "Goldie!"

The aforementioned criminal grinned back as he held his own Scroll out, beginning to stroll forwards. "Rome! How's prison been treating you?"

"Not for me, I came to realize!" The mob boss set his scroll down on a surface, revealing the comfy black leather chair he was sat in, an array of levers and buttons laid out in front of him, hands gripping a ship's steering wheel as he split his concentration between the Scroll and his current task. "But, hey! It is _good_ to be back!"

As Vegas watched, one of the hulking Atlesian ships turned quickly- firing out a volley of fittingly huge lasers, carving through the other ships with ease, the Atlesian crafts plummeting from the sky, leaving the hijacked ship the only one left standing.

Gold grinned. "Don't have too much fun up there, Torchwick."

Roman turned his smile from the girl to his side, back to the Scroll. "Hey, speaking of, Goldie- no one ever told me; what's _your_ role in all of this?"

Vegas looked around himself, before turning back to his screen with a shrug. "I'm going to kill as many kids as I can. Ta-ta."

He dropped the Scroll to the ground and turned his attention back to Beacon Academy, marching resolutely on with a skip in his step.


	26. Chapter 10: Heroes Don't Always Win

**Chapter 10: Heroes Don't Always Win**

* * *

" _Warning: safety barriers failing_." The mechanical voice droned out over the empty arena.

"PYRRHA!" Jaune screamed in panic, wide blue eyes locked onto the shaken form of his partner on the battlefield below, simply… staring at the remains of Penny. "Pyrrha, that thing's going to break in! You've gotta move!"

The warrior didn't even respond, not flinching as the mammoth grimm continued to smash into the barrier high above, the invisible shield flashing urgently. Letting out a growl of frustration, Jaune leapt the railing, falling down to the tile below, making a beeline towards Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha!" He cried out, ignoring the shocked yells of his friends still in the stands. "Pyrrha, please snap out of it!"

Then the nevermore shattered the barrier, careening down to the floor, the impact sending the two huntsmen flying. The grimm let out a victorious screech, and lunged towards the still hardly responding Pyrrha-

Only to get smashed aside by a red blur, rose petals falling to cover the tile. Ruby dropped down in front of the Mistrali huntress; gripping one of Penny's swords tightly in her hands.

"Ruby?" Pyrrha whispered, still shaken.

"Leave her alone!" The shorter huntress yelled at the grimm, pointing the sword furiously.

The nevermore rose back to its talons, and lunged at the leader of RWBY, the short huntress preparing to defend herself.

With no need though, a volley of roaring metal boxes falling from the newly made hole in the ceiling, smashing into the creature and pinning it to the ground with one last ear-piercing screech, before it went still.

The lockers began to click and open one-by-one, as dozens of huntsmen began to climb from the stands, fighting against the still-escaping tide of bystanders: Team SSSN, CFVY, Coal and Katt of FNKI, ABRN, DRAB; alongside the remnants of JNPR, DRGN, and SOUL.

The teens all marched forwards to the locker-laden nevermore, collecting their weapons, a cacophony of clicking sounds filling the battlefield as they prepared themselves for a fight.

Suddenly, the grimm screeched back to life, shaking the remaining huntsmen on its form, trying desperately to climb back to its feet.

Ren was the first to react, wasting no time, leaping off of its back, spinning, dagger-bearing pistols swiping into the massive raven's face, before falling to the ground.

The leader of ABRN scowled, planting the end of her rope dart in its wing, before dropping lowly, swinging through the air and snatching Yatsuhashi off of the ground. Sage of SSSN and Nora leapt ahead of her, the ginger huntress running along its back before falling into a slide, leaping and flipping through the air, greathammer crashing down onto the crown of its skull-mask, sending the grimm smashing into the tile below.

Arslan released Yatsuhashi as they reached the climax of their swing, Sage joining them in the air, duel greatswords gleaming in the light as they fell.

With two fell slashes, the head of the nevermore fell limply to the floor, the rest of the grimm going limp, smoke beginning to curl off of its form.

Then a round of bullets ripped into its inky flesh. Delta turned to his fellow huntsmen, giving them a thumbs up.

Pyrrha, though, still refused to rise from her place kneeling on the ground, tears welling in her eyes as she looked back and forth from Ruby; to the strip of cloth held in her hands, the remnants of Penny's dress. "I…" She sobbed out. " _I'm so sorry_."

Ruby stared at her for a moment, face falling in despair. "…Me too…" Then her features lit up with fury. "But it wasn't your fault."

"She's right," Jaune said as he walked up to the huntresses. "Whoever was on that microphone… they're the ones behind this. And we have to make sure they don't take anyone else." He offered her her sword and shield, eyes pleading.

After a moment, Pyrrha grit her teeth together, and rose to her feet, taking the bronze weapons, and nodding back at him determinedly.

Oracle strode forwards, revolvers and her form glowing golden, a scowl planted on her face. "So; what's the plan, then?"

Ruby wasn't given a chance to answer, as several hippogriff-like grimm landed on the rim of the colosseum, dozens more flying passed as they let out a screech, flying down towards the students below.

"Griffons." Ren muttered.

Lance popped his neck from side to side. "Nah, we can take them."

"All fourty- no, fifty- no- you know what I mean, of them?" Neptune asked, bewildered.

"It'll take a minute, but yeah."

"Okay, anyone _else_ got a plan of attack?"

"Sun?" Ruby called over. "Scroll!"

The faunus acquiesced without a second thought, dexterous tail pulling the device from his pocket and tossing it over to her. She caught it out of the air, quickly tapping in a series of numbers. A short moment later, her locker came rocketing back in, nearly hitting one of the descending griffons, the grimm screeching as it bared its talons at the huntsmen below.

Then it was gone, and Rainier fell in its place, landing on top of Ruby's locker. He looked down at the assorted warriors, and sighed, a strained, coy smile finding its way to his face, dark bags hanging under his eyes. "Well, look at all of you. If I knew any-"

He wasn't given a chance to finish the thought, though, as another grimm came swooping down towards him; only to disappear as well, a massive gunshot echoing around the empty arena.

The eyes of the teens shifted to the side; to where Port and Oobleck were standing, the former holding his axe-cannon high, while the other held a suspiciously thermos-like club. "Students!" The professor called out. "I think it would be best for you to leave."

"But-" Ruby began.

"Miss Rose!" Oobleck cut back in sternly. "This day will surely go down in Remnant's history. I'd prefer it if my students could live to tell the story."

The leader of RWBY nodded as she retrieved her Crescent Rose, turning to the other students with a nod. "Then let's go."

Rainier hopped down from his perch on the locker, marching up resolutely to join his friends. He matched pace with the short huntress, face filling with remorse. "Ruby, I-" He began.

"Rain- not now," She cut back in sternly, giving him a hard look. "We have a mission to do."

The faunus watched her for a moment, before nodding, following the mob of huntsmen in evacuating the arena, Port's maniacal, giddy laughter echoing behind them.

* * *

Gail loosed another arrow, the missile finding its target, a beowolf howling in pain as its head snapped backwards, falling to the ground. She nocked another arrow, turning over her shoulder. "Ulysses!"

The hulking huntsman grunted as he skirted around her, Avenger flying out to smash through another boar-like grimm behind her, the creature pancaking into the ground mid-charge.

She sucked in a breath as she wheeled around, staring in daunted horror at the dozens of grimm rampaging through Beacon's courtyard, several other huntsmen spilling from the school and the city to help fight them off.

"Ul…" She said quietly, sharp eyes picking something out across the courtyard. "Are those-"

" _Cerulean_ ," He barked, before following her gaze. A snarl crept its way across his face, morningstar coiling back into his hand. "White Fang."

They watched as a bullhead touched down, the bay doors opening; several grimm leapt from the craft, followed by a handful of White Fang members, before it took flight again, soaring to safety.

The archer swallowed hard, eyes meeting her impromptu partner's. "They're… they're letting grimm into the school."

He growled, cocking his head to the side. "We need to move."

She nodded in agreement, the huntsmen taking off further towards the edges of the campus, fighting off grimm as they ran.

A few moments later, the archer's Scroll buzzed urgently, glowing brightly with Rainier's smiling face. She answered the call- the faunus' tanned visage was, instead, drawn together in a stressed grimace, the halls of Amity Colosseum whirring by behind him. "Rain-" She began.

" _We're fine up here,"_ He spat, cutting her off, gaze turning off to the side. _"Who else is with you?"_

She looked over to her hulking companion. "Ulysses is still with me."

" _Good; are you two still at Beacon?"_

"I- yes-"

He let out a groan. _"Fine- what does it look like_?"

"It's…"

"It's not good." Ulysses grumbled.

Rainier sighed, shaking his head. " _Do what you two can. We're coming to you_."

"Rain," She began, searching his face. "What's happening?"

The faunus stared at her for a moment, before sighing. " _I'm… I'm not sure. Whatever happens, though, we…_ " He trailed off, and a smile sprung to his face, no matter how strained. " _We can handle it. We've dealt with a grimm invasion before, haven't we?_ "

She gave him a tiny smile back. "O- of course."

" _I'll talk with you soon. And, for the love of everything… please. Be safe. Both of you_."

Gail nodded. "We will."

And the line went dead.

"Atlesians." Ulysses muttered, inclining his head to the side. Lo and behold, dozens of Atlesian androids and soldiers were touching down in the school, guns blazing as they fought back the grimm and White Fang as well as they could.

"That's promising," She whispered, before adding more audibly. "I- let's give it a shot."

* * *

The fleeing huntsmen came to a sudden stop as they reached the colosseum's docking bay, looking around at the chaos that had consumed it.

Atlesian soldiers and huntsmen rushed to and fro, battling off as many grimm as they could, the bay awash with gunfire and gleaming blades, while the air buses worked as quickly as they could to evacuate as many people as they could.

"Oh, this ain't good." Lance muttered.

"No sweat!" Delta barked, storming forwards, gun braced against his shoulder. "Come on! What are we here for exactly, soldiers?!"

"Not that." Rainier muttered.

The teens took off, dodging through the melee- and watched, as a bullhead instead rose up to the bay, doors opening- White Fang firing out at the crowd, grimm leaping to the colosseum, before it flew off again.

"They're seriously-" Oracle began, before shaking her head, spitting onto the ground. "Rubes-"

She didn't get the chance to finish, roaring filling the space around them.

Marching towards the emerging teens was the furious visage of General Ironwood, staring down a hulking alpha beowolf, heavily armored in bone. One either side of them were the remains of two androids. The grimm roared again, taking off in bounds towards the general.

He, for his part, let out a battle cry of his own as he charged towards it, ripping a huge revolver from his jacket, firing shots as he ran. The grimm leapt in the air, viciously sharp claws swinging for his head. Ironwood fell into a slide, narrowly dodging the attack, the beast flying over him, shots ripping into its midsection as the combatants passed each other.

The beowolf crashed into the ground, writhing as it struggled to scramble to its feet. The general came to a stop, turning on a dime, massive revolver raised steadfastly. It charged him again, roaring in fury, Ironwood loosing shot after shot at it as it neared. It swung again with a heavy paw, battering Ironwood a few feet to the side, then swung again-

The Atlesian simply raised his right arm, stopping the limb in its tracks with a dull 'whoomph'. Ironwood fired a shot into its knee, bringing the grimm crumbling down; and then lifted the creature by its arm as if it weighed nothing, smashing it into the metal floor, before hefting it back up so that it rested on his back, head hanging backwards.

A single shot to the skull sent the beast limp. The general dropped it to the ground and simply began to stroll away. The huntsmen jogged up to him, watching as the airbuses began to escape the colosseum. Ruby was the first to reach him, arms thrown to the side to catch his attention. "What's going on?!"

He looked over the students, before sighing, turning his gaze to the night sky. "…Grimm are crawling all over the city, the White Fang's invaded beacon, and to make matters worse, someone has taken one of my airships. Until we regain command, the skies are out of our control, so I'm-" He stopped mid-sentence, raising his revolver and shooting a leaping ursa out of the air. "Going to take it back."

"What should we do?!" Jaune called out, voice tinged with desperation.

Ironwood stopped in his march towards one of his ships, pausing on the ramp and turning back to the huntsmen, hands folded behind his back. "You have two choices. Defend your kingdom and your school… or save yourselves," The teens all looked to one another, unsurely, and he sighed, face falling into a look of sympathy. "…No one will fault you if you leave."

Poof.

The huntsmen coughed and waved their hands in front of their faces, purple smoke filling the deck before being whisked away by wind.

Shinai stood before them, purple eyes dark with fury. He turned over his shoulder to Ironwood, the general nodding to the warrior. "Kyani," He turned and entered the craft. "Let's move out!"

The ramp shut, and the Atlesians soared off into the sky.

"Nice of you to join us, captain." Oracle nodded, walking up beside him.

The samurai nodded back, looking over the faces of his friends and peers. He drew Shi En from its sheathe, eyes falling onto Ruby. "Our foes are closing in. Grimm in the air, White Fang on the ground. But I won't turn my back. Not tonight."

Sun shrugged, a beaming smile crossing his face. "I mean, come on."

Jaune nodded in agreement. "We can take a shuttle down to Beacon, come on."

The huntsmen let out a chorus of assents, the vast majority of them jogging off to find a ship to evacuate in; with the exception of Rainier, Shinai, and Ruby, the short huntress watching Ironwood's ship disappear into the clouds with wide, silver eyes.

"Ruby?" Rainier asked quietly.

She opened her mouth to reply, before a roar cut her off. The trio turned on their heel, to a hulking beringel, barely fitting into the bay, beating its paws against its chest. Another bellow from it preceded the beast beginning to bound towards them.

It never made it, a ship flying through the air, crashing into the grimm, nearly cleaving it in half. The craft skillfully stopped before impacting with the colosseum, coming to a stop on top of the creature's corpse. The cockpit opened- and Remy hopped out, wicked silver glaive held behind him. He looked around with furious yellow eyes, before meeting Rainier's own.

The younger Platina nodded, before turning his gaze to his fellow huntsmen. "I'm going with him. I'll see you two on the ground, yes?"

Shinai and Ruby looked to each other, before nodding. The latter took off after her friends- but the samurai stalled for a moment, purple eyes boring into his former opponent's. "Stay safe."

The faunus grinned. "But of course- would you expect anything less?"

The duo clasped hands, before going their separate ways.

Rainier nodded at Remy again as he reached the ship, both Vacuoans climbing in. "We're going down there, you know this, yes?"

"...Fine." The White Wolf growled as they took flight, racing out into the night sky.

* * *

The escaping huntsmen sat around the airbus, clutching their weapons tightly, looking to one another- not one of them choosing to look out the window at the city below.

"Hey," Lance called out, leaning back. "I like you dumb bastards. None of you die, aight?"

"Tonight, we dine at the mess hall! Ah, I mean hell! Ah, I screwed that up!" Delta called out.

"…Yeah, sure, dude!"

Oracle snorted, looking across at her teammate- before her emerald eyes slowly shifted to the window next to him, widening. "Oh my gods.

All eyes turned to the night sky beyond; and General Ironwood's ship. The ship was rocking wildly in the air, its interior filled with the telltale flashing of gunfire. Then an explosion rocked the craft, fire consuming it as it began to plummet out of the sky.

Without a second thought, Ruby shot to her feet, marched towards the exit, and threw the ship's ramp open, taking off sprinting, leaping out into the air.

"RUBY!" Oracle cried out, rushing forwards to grab her, before skidding to a stop.

"What is she _doing?!_ " Sun screamed, throwing his hands up.

Lance peered out of the window, watching the short huntress land safely back onto Amity's docking bay, shrugging. "Dunno, but she looks like she's got a pretty good idea of it."

* * *

Gail and Ulysses skid to a stop, eyes wide as they watched two Atlesian Knights open fire on one of the huntsman outside Beacon, the boy's eyes widening before he flickered away in a panic.

"That's not good." She whispered with wide eyes.

Ulysses charged out after them, roaring as he swung Avenger out around him in wide swings, taking one android's legs out from under it, before stopping the flail's direction, swinging back to smash through the other's body, it's head and legs falling lifelessly to the cobble floor. The hulking huntsman snorted, black smoke beginning to rise from his body as he looked around. "Well?" He called back out, and the archer strode up to him quickly.

"These are…"

"Atlesian." He finished in a mutter.

"They're firing on us? …Do you… think they're-"

"Don't know. Don't care. Just another thing on this pile of shit."

She looked up to him in concern. "This… this isn't good."

Ulysses grunted in agreement. "Plan stays the same."

"Plan?"

"Keep moving forwards and kill everything that gets in the way. Same plan as the breach."

"That… that's a good point."

He nodded confidently. "Ladies first."

* * *

"My gods." Rainier whispered as he and Remy neared the city, wide, pale yellow eyes filled with shock as he stared down at the melee below.

Both Vale and Beacon were filled with bonfires, dozens of thick, black plumes of smoke rising into the sky. Grimm, White Fang, huntsmen, soldiers, and renegade Knights and Paladins buzzed around the city's streets, the sounds of fighting and panic echoing throughout the night.

Remains of all of them littered the cobblestone and asphalt roads, along with the painfully obvious lifeless forms of civilians. Across some of the buildings' rooftops, people waved up at the air ship, desperately looking for someone to carry them to safety.

Remy growled in distaste. "This is bad."

"How bad, exactly?" Rainier asked quietly.

"I've never seen one of the four cities attacked this badly. _That_ bad."

"But-"

The White Wolf turned to glare at his brother. "Pup, the only cities I've ever seen that look like this are ones that get taken off of the maps. This is Vale, and one of the four cities, and its different, and I get that; and maybe this is salvageable. But this. Is. _Bad_."

Rainier's eyes hardened in response, leaning forwards. "And what? You want to just _leave_?"

"This _isn't_ our fight, Rain-"

The younger faunus glowered, and hit a small button to his side, his half of the cockpit rising up. "Fine then. I'll do this on my own." Without another word, he flung himself from the ship, careening to the ground.

For a moment, the image of a rapidly rising canopy of deep green trees flashed through his mind, exhilarated laughter filling the air. In the next, he was back to reality, cannon firing at the last moment before he hit concrete, soaring through the sky, aware of Remy's ship landing a short ways away.

He came crashing to the ground, lacking even the energy to make a clean landing. Still, though, he scrambled to his feet, taking off towards Beacon Academy at a dead sprint; still a brilliant blur, but slowing frighteningly quickly.

* * *

Phalanx let loose a distorted bellow as it swung a massive fist, battering the beowolf ahead of it several meters to the side. The mech carved its way through the grimm ahead of it, massive hands striking out with thruster-enhanced speed, ripping anything that got too close to it apart, never ceasing its movement.

Inside the mech, Nash's face was a mask of concentration, teeth grit together, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead, staring through his monitor at the melee unfolding before him. In the top right of his screen, Daria's face appeared as a call came in, features pulled into a goofy look. He answered the call, her face appearing, filled with concern. _"Nash! Are you alright? You just disappeared!"_

"I'm good," He muttered. "Needed to pick some things up."

" _Are- are you in Phalanx."_

"Does it look like I'm in Phalanx?"

" _Nash, please, this isn't-"_

"I'm fine!" He said with a harrumph. "Is everyone else?"

" _Yeah,"_ His partner said with a sigh. " _Hon- be safe. Okay? I'll find you later."_

"Fine," Nash muttered, before adding more softly, "…Please come back."

" _I will. I love you."_

The line went dead, the blonde huntsman's head falling for a moment, taking a deep steadying breath in. "WELL?!" He called out, throwing his hands up, beckoning any grimm or Atlesian androids to come to him. "I HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY!"

He rocketed forwards, fist raised to strike.

* * *

Daria skittered backwards, clutching her Scroll tightly in her hand, dodging a stray attack from a grimm, trying not to drop the device. "Lance!" She called out, a bite of irritation filling her voice.

"I got it!" He yelled back, appearing by her side quickly, cleaving the beast in half. "You got all your calls done?"

"No! I gotta call Rainier!" She snapped.

"Fine! When he answers, tell him to get his furry ass over here!" The swordsman was gone, dashing back into the fray.

The dark-skinned huntress' eyes scanned over the battlefield that had become Beacon, dashing backwards to a spot of relative safety, Scroll ringing yet again. After what felt like eternity, the Vacuoan picked up, absolutely exhausted gaze falling to the screen.

" _Daria!"_ Rainier cried. " _Where are you?!"_

"We're at the school!" She called back, not stopping her strafing.

" _Good! I'm on my way!"_

"No- Rain-"

" _Dar-"_

"Rain," She took a deep, steadying breath. "I need you to get as many people to safety as you can."

" _D-"_

"This isn't negotiable!" She cried. "Please. You're the only one fast enough to help… please."

"I…" He went silent for a long moment. "Alright. Be safe." The line went dead.

"DARIA!" Jaune cried, grabbing the other leader's attention.

The diminutive huntress turned on her heel, eyes going wide at the sight of the beowolf lunging towards her, claws outstretched- and then it was gone.

Standing where it was, massive slab of a greatsword buried into the ground; was Adrian Black. He slowly looked over to her, baby blue eyes meeting brown. He inclined his head. "Miss Copper."

"Daria!" Gail shouted, dashing forwards and pulling her leader into a hug.

Said huntress was staring owlishly passed her still, as the other members of BLCK stalked forwards, Ulysses in tow. Adrian let loose a sharp whistle. "Boys!" He barked. "Protect this godsdamned city,"

Lanu let loose a whoop, before dashing forwards, Kuro and Caid in tow. Black, though, stalled for a moment, looking to the huntresses. "…Respect, Miss Copper." He inclined his head again, before taking off after his teammates, their gazes locked on a rampaging Atlesian mech.

Daria and Gail shared a sigh, looking to one another.

"You're alright?" The former asked, looking her taller teammate over.

"I'm fine. Are you?"

"I'm… getting through this."

The archer nodded, pulling her bow from her shoulder, and the two huntresses turned back towards the fight.

* * *

Nash skid to a stop, staring across the courtyard at an Atlesian paladin- an enormous, bipedal mech, larger than Phalanx itself. The boy cocked his head to the side as it noticed him, stiffly turning towards him.

"You don't have a pilot, do you?" He called out. It wordlessly began to march towards him, claws lifted and aimed towards him. " _Good._ "

He dashed forwards, thrusters clearing the gap in moments, throwing his shoulder into the other mech's. It immediately began bashing its claws into his red armor, bringing them crashing down. Nash grunted from the impacts, lashing out with another fist, colliding them with the glass of the Atlesian mech's cockpit. Another roar spilled out from Phalanx as he bashed its arms away, a fist colliding with its midsection, the Paladin sliding backwards a few feet.

It took the opportunity and extra space to let loose with a flurry of bullets from its cannon, the shots doing little against Phalanx's armor as he dashed forwards again, a thruster-boosted punch crashing into its cockpit again, the glass shattering to litter the floor below. He reached out, grabbing the now exposed frame of the cockpit, and ripped away, the top half of the mech beginning to crack and tear from the force, its arms crashing into the huntsman's mech over, and over again.

Nash let go of his grip, beginning to rain punch after punch down into the interior of the hacked Atlesian bot, pummeling the driver's amenities into rubble-

Then, with one last yell, the thrusters on his right arm lit up even brighter, the lightning fast punch punching through the Paladin with relative ease. The bot went limp around the limb, sparks flying out into the night air. Nash pulled his fist back, letting it fall to the ground-

And then curbstomped it once more, the metal crumpling under the blow. He snorted. "Atlesian efficiency, my ass."

He turned on his heel- and then stopped in his tracks, the boy gasping in surprise, looking down the interior of the mech; where a molten hot golden blade had buried itself into Phalanx's midsection, stopping just short of the huntsman's own body. He looked back up to Vegas Gold's grinning face.

The killer ripped his blade free, dancing backwards out of range of Nash's swinging fist. "I'm ten and o' tonight!" He laughed out. "Let's shoot for eleven! Neeext up on the list; wolfie's little friend!"

With another mad cackle, Gold sprinted at the young huntsman, Dragon's Fang raised high.

* * *

BLCK fell upon the Paladin like a pack of banshees, Lanu reaching it first, leaping up high, Qatar cutting into its armor, dashing out of reach as it swung a heavy cannon at the Mistrali. Caid was right there, blade wreathed in lightning, leaping up onto its cannon towards the top of the mech, slashing away at the cockpit, skin covered in shadow. Lanu dashed back in, sliding between its legs with a laugh, cleaving through the joints of its legs in a flurry of steel.

The mech reached a claw up, moving to swipe The swordsman off of its head- the limb stopped in place, Kuro's chain sword wrapped around it, pulsating with electricity, the Mistrali digging his boots into the ground to hold the mech still, slowly giving ground.

A blur of black fell from the sky, Adrian letting out a shout as he swung his massive sword through the air, the slab of metal cleaving cleanly through the joint of the arm, letting it fall to the ground. The other arm swung hard for the Mistrali leader, instead making impact with the sword, stopping in its tracks as he put his shoulder into it.

Lanu dashed back around the mech, qatar cutting through its armor in broad strokes. Caid growled, whipping his sword to the side, wind swirling around it as he continued to try and break through the cockpit's protection in vain-

Before a great arrow pierced the glass, cracks spider-webbing across it. He looked back across the courtyard, making eye contact with Gail, the archer nodding. He faltered for a moment, before nodding back, plunging his blade into the cockpit, shattering the glass, giving him enough room to hop in, sword swiping across the control board as he began to rip it apart from the inside out.

Adrian, meanwhile was gritting his teeth together, holding back the Paladin's fist as best as he could, slowly being pushed backwards. Then, a white blur flew over him, Daria planting both boots into the massive sword, the impact bucking the mech's claw away, enough for the Mistrali to dodge to the side. Kuro let out a growl and whipped his segmented blade forwards again, yet again wrapping it around the offending limb of the Atlesian bot.

The two leaders locked eyes for a split second, before turning back to the rampaging mech, dashing forwards in unison.

Adrian's blade swung horizontally, cleaving through the thin midsection of the mech several inches. Daria dashed to the side, leaping over the blade, two waves of green energy further exacerbating the damage.

The gash was enough for Caid's sword to pierce through the mech's armor. Lanu let out a victorious whoop, dashing towards the wound, digging both qatar in, and ripped with all of his might to either side, beginning to pry the mech apart.

"Move." Ulysses growled, pushing him to the side. The hulking huntsman gripped either edge of the wound, letting out a roar as he jerked with all the strength he could muster.

With the cracking and tearing of metal and electronics, the midsection of the Paladin tore nearly in two, wires crackling dangerously in the night air. Caid stared through the rent metal at the black-eyed huntsman, leaning back in impressment.

"Godsdamned!" Adrian hollered as he resheathed his sword. "Glad we didn't fight you."

"I still think it was a fluke," Kuro muttered, making eye contact with Daria, Gail jogging up to join them. "But I never got to say congrats on the win."

"Ooh!" Lanu laughed out as he swaggered back towards his team. "Where's the little man at? I gotta give him some love for that shit talkin' he was spittin'."

"…I dunno," Daria muttered, rubbing the back of her head. "Are we going to sit here making pleasantries, or are we going to go fight?"

Adrian gave her an impressed look, head cocked to the side. "Well. Damn the gods, little miss! After you!"

She rolled her eyes, taking off back into the fray.

* * *

A grin found its way to Lance's face as Delta leapt over his swinging blade, the duo whirling around each other in a whirlwind of sword and bullets, carving their way through the grimm.

The Atlesian nodded at his new friend. "Friendship- _UH_!"

The swordsman snorted, shaking his head. "Where's your-"

" _DELTAAA_!"

Both huntsmen turned to the panicked scream of Romeo- the Atlesian in the grips of a griffon, being whisked away into the air. The leader of DRAB stared for a long few moments, before sighing. "Alright, fine! Best friend! I WILL SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE, SOLDIER!" He gave an aggressive salute, before turning on his heel, racing off after his endangered teammate, firing bullets at the fleeing grimm. "I'M COMIN' CHEGS! IF YOU DIE, DIBS ON YOUR SWEET ASS ROCKET LAUNCHER!"

Lance watched him go for a few seconds in disbelief, shaking his head.

"Lance!" Oracle called out. "Stop gawkin' and help, will you?!"

He sighed, turning on his heel as he raced back towards his teammates and the battle. His eyes met green as he reached the gunslinger and Shinai, massive greatsword flying out around him, a White Fang going flying from the impact.

She leapt forwards, falling into a slide, golden shots flying from her revolvers with reckless abandon, both arms smoking from the overuse of the guns. "Captain!" She barked.

The samurai turned on his heel, Shi En flying through an Atlesian Knight to land back in his hand. "Oracle!"

"This ain't great!"

"You don't say!" Lance said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Not talkin' to you, blondie! What are we gonna do?"

Shinai twirled in place, observing the school grounds around him for a moment- looking further into the campus, where more White Fang and grimm were rampaging. "We hold this school until they tell us otherwise."

"Ooh, I don't like that."

"We don't have much choice. Oracle-" She looked up at him, deadly serious gazes meeting. "I'm going back into the school. There are still others trapped in there. You, Lance, do what you can. Don't be heroes."

The blonde whipped Iron Maw forwards, shifting it into its cannon form, loading a glowing blue shot, shaking his head with a less than sincere look. " _Shame_."

"Keep him alive." Shinai said, exchanging a nod with Oracle.

"Don't get ganked." She called out as he took off running.

Poof.

"Gods, I hate that man." The gunslinger muttered as she rose to her feet.

Lance strode forwards, looking around at the huntsmen surrounding him. "You lot heard the captain! Let's hold this damned school, eh?!"

Sun threw his fist up in a lone whoop. "Y-Yeah! Y…eah…"

"Nice speech." Neptune muttered.

The swordsman shook his head as he and Oracle marched onwards. She looked up to him with a raised eyebrow. "Got any plans, blondie?"

"Truthfully? Probably go find some stuff to kill. What about you?"

"Oh, really? The same!"

"Wanna come along?"

"Thought you'd never ask!"

With that, the duo took off further into the school, searching for any battle that needed their aid.

* * *

Phalanx backstepped quickly from Vegas' attack, narrowly dodging the wild swing, the killer's manic golden eyes staring up into his visor as he struck out again, the mech's armored mitt coming up to push Dragon's Fang away. The boy let out a frustrated growl, his thrusters activating as he bodily slammed into the criminal, hands wrapping around Gold's waist, rocketing forwards to slam the killer into one of Beacon's great columns.

Snarling, Vegas lashed out with his blade, the golden sword impaling through Phalanx's visor with ease, Dragon's Fang coming dangerously close to Nash's face, drawing a shocked gasp from the boy. He dropped the criminal, rocketing a few meters passed him before turning on his heel-

The killer was a step faster though, dashing to the side, golden blade carving through Phalanx's leg with ease, the sound of metal grinding on metal filling the courtyard. Despite their depth into the campus, the rampaging grimm and White Fang gave the combatants a wide berth, rushing around them instead.

Gold drew his blade back, the mech's leg sparking urgently as Nash tried in vain to retreat, the limb refusing to move; simply dragging across the pavement lamely instead. He yelled in frustration, pulling one arm in to pound at the screen in front of him, Phalanx's other arm swinging with the aid of thrusters at the criminal. Vegas ducked underneath it, sending a stab at Phalanx's midsection with a sick grin.

Dragon's Fang was instead redirected towards the ground, carving through the stone like it was butter. Nash took the opportunity to swing out with a wide backhand, sending Vegas tumbling away; his moment of respite gained, the mechanic took the opportunity to continue to feverishly work on getting the disabled leg to reactivate, even if only slightly.

Gold growled, smile dropping, as he charged forwards again, blade soaring through the air. He feinted as Phalanx swung again-

But this time, he stabbed up and through the limb, piercing all the way through, nearly taking Nash's own arm with it, if it weren't for the boy's aura, a scream nonetheless distortedly piercing the air. With a victorious grin, Vegas ripped his blade to the side, cleaving Phalanx's arm cleanly from the rest of its body, more sparks flying through the air as the boy pulled his limb back into the safety of the mech, the red-armored hunk of metal falling to the floor, motionless.

The criminal didn't let up, blade flying through the air to carve into Phalanx's chest, ripping through the armor and wiring with ease, the gash wide enough to peer into the mech's interior.

Vegas let loose a satisfied cackle. "And that's game, kiddo!" He leapt into the air, sending a vicious stab straight towards Phalanx's visor.

* * *

Rainier skid to a stop, a panicked scream catching his attention, turning to the closed door next to him. With one well-placed kick, the door went flying off of its hinges, a wave of heat and smoke crashing into him, drawing a coughing fit from the faunus. He stepped in, ducking as lowly to the ground as he could. "Hello?!" He called out.

"HELP!" A man screamed, and he took off in a blur, dodging around the fire as he followed the source of the voice. In a back room, a man was laying on the floor, a burning beam pinning him to the ground, even as he tried in vain to lift it off, one arm trapped awkwardly under him.

The Vacuoan skid to a stop, mind whirring, before finally settling on bringing his claws down in an axe kick, carving the beam in two, alleviating enough weight for the man to free himself, letting loose a coughing fit as he crept to his hands and knees- and pointed at the other end of the room. " _B-Baby_." He managed.

Rainier's eyes widened, and he dashed towards the crib in question, a frighteningly unconscious baby laying in the bed. He ripped it from its covers, then leapt back to the man, helping him to his feet, and dragging all three of them to the relative safety of the outside.

The man took the baby as the faunus doubled over in a coughing fit, smoke spilling from his lungs. "Is it okay?" He asked shakily.

"I- I don't know!" The man yelled, panicked.

Rainier summoned all of the strength he could, extending his arms urgently. "I can get it out of here- you have to trust me!"

Without a second thought, the man handed the child over, and Rainier was gone, racing through the city streets as fast as he could force himself to go.

After what felt like an eternity, the Vacuoan stumbled to a stop next to one of the evacuation points, roughly shoving the baby into an Atlesian soldier's hands, the others in the area starting in shock as the teen fell to his hands and knees, coughing hard. "Help it!" He snapped, stumbling back to his feet.

The soldier looked the baby over. "We- he's alive. We can help him."

"Good!"

Then Rainier was gone again, dashing back into the city, forcing his exhausted limbs to move as fast as they could.

* * *

There was a flurry of movement, metal grinding against metal, before Nash messily popped out of the back of Phalanx. Mere moments after escaping the mech, Vegas' vicious stab made contact, cleaving through the armored construct's head with ease, half of the boy's helmet falling to the ground, its visor blinking for a moment before going dark.

Nash hit the ground scrambling, trying to climb to his feet to escape as quickly as he could. He didn't make it far, the killer leaping forwards, tackling him bodily to the pavement below. Vegas grabbed the back of the boy's head, smashing it into the concrete, before climbing to his feet, his opponent still held tightly, now on his knees.

Gold, a manic, smug grin cladding his face, stabbed forwards, the blade soaring towards Nash's sternum.

An audible 'tink' rang out through the courtyard.

Vegas' smile dropped in confusion, stabbing forwards again to the same result. "Gods, what are you made of, _metal_?!"

Nash gave him a nervous smile. "I- aha, that's probably my semblance."

"Hm," Gold mused to himself. "That's concerning. Well… we'll just have to keep trying until something works, huh?"

The boy, though, took the opportunity to scramble to his feet, making a dead sprint to the relative safety of the interior campus.

"Thirty-nine, thirty-eight, thirty-seven, thirty-six." He whispered feverishly under his breath as he ran.

Vegas leapt forwards again, tackling the boy to the ground before he could get far. Nash, though, hardly reacted, writhing in the killer's grasp, trying his hardest to free himself.

The golden-haired criminal growled in irritation, throwing the boy into the bench surrounding the fountain- the stone cracked under the blow, but Nash continued fervently trying to climb to his feet and escape. Vegas grabbed the huntsman's ankle, turned on his heel, and hurled him away, crashing into one of the columns with the shattering of marble. Nash hit the ground, then immediately sprang back to his feet-

His blue eyes widened in horror.

Gold was to his side in a heartbeat, vicious knee strike stopping him in his tracks. This time, it seemed to stick, the boy recoiling with a yelp of pain. Vegas grinned. "Now, that's more like it, kiddo!" He dashed forwards again, grabbing the young huntsman by his face, hefting him up and slamming him back into the column, more stray marble falling around them. The killer tossed him to the ground, they boy groaning in pain as he pushed himself to his hands and knees.

Vegas lashed out with a sharp kick, cracking it against Nash's jaw, sending him tumbling further away. "Man," The criminal mused as he lethargically began sauntering towards his opponent. "Not much of a fighter, eh? No mech, and- what do you know? He's just a scared little kid after all. Semblance has a time limit, huh? That's a shame- I was kinda hoping it'd let me just beat the shit outta ya till it gave in.

Nash put a hand onto the fountain's bench, slowly pulling himself to a knee. Gold, though, didn't give him a moment of respite, instead grabbing him by the shoulder, turning him around, terrified blue eyes meeting giddy golden.

"Game! Ovah!" He shouted, before thrusting Dragon's Fang forwards.

At the last moment, Nash brought his hands up in a last ditch effort to guard against the glowing blade.

Vegas ripped his sword away, the boy falling to the ground, screaming in pain, hands clutched tightly to his chest, blood splattering across the pavement. The killer took a step back, leaning to the side with a frown, grimacing in disgust. "Oh- oh, man," He muttered. "That's- that looked like. Gods, that looks like that hurts. Ah- jeez. That's disgusting, kid. I-" He looked away. "Oh, man, I think I'm gonna puke," The killer shook his head, blinking his eyes, mockingly taking a moment to recenter himself.

"Please." Nash pleaded in a sob, shaking his head, body trembling in pain as he continued to clutch his arms close to himself, tears streaming down his face.

"You know what?" Vegas mused, cocking a hip to the side. "You gave me a lot of fun tonight, kid- more than any of the other brats here did. So you know what? I'm not gonna kill you,"

The young huntsman slowly dared to look up, meeting his opponent's gaze.

The killer's sickeningly sweet smile dropped into a frown of remembrance. "Ah, actually, you know what? Orders are orders. Sorry, kid." The grin found its way back to his face as he swung Dragon's Fang down towards the base of Nash's neck.

And then he was gone.

The blonde huntsman stared up at where the criminal was- meeting Shinai's purple eyes, burning with hatred as he stared at his young friend. The samurai kneeled down to the boy. "Nash," The young huntsman didn't really react, curling into himself. "Nash, I need you to help me get you up."

Slowly, Shinai helped him to his feet, the mechanic's arms clutched tightly to his stomach. The duo began to make their way towards the remnants of Phalanx, the samurai ever aware of Gold watching on leerily, face filled with giddy anticipation- but not budging an inch. "I'm being polite here," The killer called out. "I'm being _very_ polite here!"

"Does this thing autopilot?" The samurai asked Nash, ignoring his enemy entirely, the boy shakily nodding yes. "What do I need to hit?" The younger huntsman simply turned his gaze to the array of buttons on the mech's shoulders silently. Shinai helped him up to Phalanx's broad shoulders, letting Nash show him what he needed to press. "Will this take you to Daria?"

Nash nodded.

"Go then."

One last button, and the mech's thrusters lit up, lifting the broken Phalanx off of the ground and carrying the boy away as fast as it could. Shinai watched it go for a long few moments, before it disappeared from sight.

Vegas began to clap. "Very good! _Nice_ timing on the save! Wait, were- were you _waiting_ for that? Just to make the last minute heroic entrance? Cause, man, if you were that's- that's more fucked up than what _I_ did,"

Shinai looked to the ground, shoulders beginning to tremble, not yet turned towards his enemy.

"Oh, come on, what? What was I supposed to do- hey, he was the one who held his hands up! If anything, _I'm_ the victim here!"

The samurai turned on his heel, ripping Shi En from its sheathe, purple eyes burning with intensity as he began to march towards the killer, face a rare scowl.

Vegas' grin widened, golden eyes shrinking manically, Dragon's Fang coming to rest on the ground, simmering. " _Good_. Now let's finish this rightly."

* * *

Rainier continued to run, muscles screaming in protest as he pushed himself further and further, trying in vain to keep up his frenzied pace. He skid to a stop, turning into an alleyway, sucking in a breath as a handful of beowolves bounded past him, letting out a haunting unified howl. The faunus took the opportunity to catch his breath, doubling over and bracing himself against the wall, huffing in exhaustion, sweat pouring down his face.

He closed his eyes, nodding to himself as he built the remnants of his resolve back up, before straightening, taking a deep breath- and then burst away again, sucking wind as he ran.

The Vacuoan warrior didn't make it a few hundred meters before the ground shook beneath him, nearly causing him to lose his balance and fall, pale yellow eyes wide. The cacophonous cracking of rock filled the night air, getting him to turn on his heel, looking to Mountain Glenn in the distance.

* * *

Oracle let a yelp, nearly tumbling to the ground as the earth shook beneath her boots, only keeping her feet as Lance grabbed hold of her wrist, spinning the duo around, the gunslinger stopping at the end of the motion to unload a cylinder into the nearest grimm. "Aight, what the hell now?!"

"Why is the mountain shaking." Lance asked out loud, shoulders slumping.

She followed his gaze, mouth falling agape. "That's… a great question, hon."

* * *

Remy slowly straightened up off of the hulking alpha ursine, wisps of black smoke rising off of his wicked silver glaive, shaking his head as he looked around at the remains of the ursa's pack- and then nearly fell from his perch as the ground trembled under him, yellow eyes snapping to the far off mountain, widening in horrified realization.

"No…" He whispered. "No, no, _no, NO!"_

* * *

The whole of the hulking mountain trembled, cracks rising from the base, spider-webbing up towards the peak, boulders beginning to fall from its face. Then, all at once, the top half of the mountain shattered.

And rising from the husk of the landmass was a unfathomably enormous grimm, shaped like a dragon, two massive red-lined wings unfurling and blocking out the moon, white-skull prominent even from the city and academy. It let loose an ear-shattering screech, the heavy beats of the wings painfully audible as it set glowing gold-and-red eyes onto Beacon's clocktower, taking off at an insane pace.

Worse, though; where it flew, enormous black drops of liquid fell from its body, crashing to the ground below- and slowly forming into the shapes of other grimm, letting loose roars of their own as they followed their progenitor to the city.

* * *

Gold cackled as both he and Shinai lost their balance with the Wyvern's entrance. " _That's_ the biggun!"

The samurai looked passed his opponent, hissing in a breath. "Why?! What purpose does any of this serve?!"

The killer froze, mulling it over. "I'm conflicted! I either tell ya, because you're going to die anyways. Or, I don't tell ya, cause you're going to die anyways. I… you know what, samurai? I'll humor you. You did the godsdamned impossible and beat the wolf, so I think you've earned that much."

"You…" Shinai's eyes widened. "You rigged the fights."

"Gods, you kids are _smart_. And we would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't… well, we're going to get away with it anyways, but, y'know. No, yeah! We totally did! Blondie's attack on poor little Mercury? Us! Your fight that _should have_ turned into a bloodbath, if the wolf wasn't such a pissing coward? Us! Pyrrha and the dead bot?! _Us!_ Everything you kids have ever done… was because of us!" He cackled. "We're friggin' _rockstars_!"

Without warning, he charged forwards, Dragon's Fang nearly making contact with Shinai, before the Patch warrior backstepped away, the sizzling blade carving through the concrete like butter. Vegas looked back up to him with a manic smile, ripping his sword free. "See!" He swung wildly, missing again. "After tonight, everything comes crashing down! _Everything!_ "

Shinai dodged away again, before dashing forwards, Shi En gleaming in the pale moonlight as it swung through the air, nearly catching his opponent before Gold similarly dodged away, the duo going back and forth.

"These schools, these kingdoms! They're all coming crashing down!"

The samurai teleported away at the last moment, a vicious stab hitting nothing but smoke, before the teen reappeared a few meters back, purple eyes narrowed. "Be that as it may- you're not going to be here to see it happen."

* * *

Daria stared in awe at the Wyvern flying overhead, dozens of fresh grimm falling from its body. She swallowed hard, looking to the other horrified students around her. "WELL?!" She barked. "Fight or leave, I don't care which!"

The other huntsmen jolted back into action, weapons flying through the air as they worked to fight off the ever-increasing grimm threat, while dodging stray Atlesian shots, and the odd White Fang thug, the school grounds devolving into a wild melee.

The leader of DRGN perked to attention at the familiar whirring of Phalanx, turning on her heel to the sound- and then sucked in a shocked breath. The mech floated through the air towards her, head carved in half, one leg limp, one arm missing entirely, its green lights faded and flickering, thrusters on the back spluttering. It came to a stop a few meters from her, crashing to the ground with the loud clatter of steel on concrete and asphalt.

Nash went tumbling down with it, small form curled onto the ground, sobbing softly.

Daria disengaged from the fight, making a break for her partner, eyes wide. "Nash- Nash, baby, talk to me. Talk to me!"

The boy slowly looked up to her with red-ringed eyes, face streaked with tears, hands held tightly against his chest, and the diminutive huntress gasped in horror at the sight of him, ringblades attached back to her belt.

"Nash?" Nora asked in quiet shock, slowly walking up to the duo with wide, blue eyes.

"Help me get him up!" Daria barked, tears welling in her eyes. The ginger huntress nodded, swallowing hard, hefting the boy up as if he weighed nothing.

"What- where-"

" _Anywhere but here_! And we need to hurry!"

Nora nodded. "Right. Ren!"

The ninja turned from his current battle, ducking under a wide swing from a beowolf. "Yes?!" He barked, looking irritated with the distraction.

"Daria and I are leaving!"

"…Why?!"

"Nash…" She swallowed hard. "Nash is hurt!"

Ren's pink eyes widened, and he nodded. "Be safe!"

"Come on." Daria hissed, pushing the ginger forwards as they took off at full sprints from the battle, weaving their way from the school to the city beyond, the leader of DRGN fighting off any hostiles that got too close to the trio, green discs and waves of energy flying through the air.

Nora ran a step-ahead of her friend, clutching Nash tightly to her chest, blue eyes scanning frantically for any sign of an evacuation or safe point.

She jolted on a whim, instincts screaming at her, turning to Daria in horror. "Catch!" She yelled, hurling the boy away. Nash crashed into his leader, the girl barely keeping a standing base as she turned to the ginger huntress in confusion.

She didn't get a chance to question Nora- as a beringel came charging through one of the buildings, colliding into the Vale huntress bodily, sending her flying away, before catching her in a mighty paw, slamming her into the ground. Daria's eyes widened, looking back and forth between Nash and her fellow huntress.

Ren came flying over the grimm's shoulder, StormFlowers ripping into its flesh, firing round after round, Nora coming crashing to the ground; on the other side, more huntsmen were charging forwards to join the fight, and the ninja turned furious pink eyes to Daria. "GO!" He barked, voice louder than she had ever heard it.

The girl nodded shakily, then turned and ran, the sounds of battle fading behind her.

* * *

Vegas came charging through the purple smoke, bellowing out manic laughter, swiping wildly at the samurai. Shinai continued to dodge away from the killer, using the flat of his blade to roll off any attack that came too close, the heat of Dragon's Fang radiating against his skin. Finally, the huntsman found an opening, planting his boot squarely across his opponent's face, sending him sliding meters backwards.

Gold came to a stop, turned away from the blow; and slowly craned his face back towards Shinai, grin not dropping. "…Got another one in ya?"

The samurai held Shi En at the ready, refusing to take the bait, steel blade aimed steadfastly at the psychopath. Vegas began to saunter tauntingly closer, swaying as he walked. "How long'd you fight the wolf for, huh? Ten minutes? Twenty minutes? Twenty-five? _Thirty_? How much aura did you even have left? It's been, what, an hour? Two, since it ended? How much you really got left, samurai? You couldn't even beat me when you were swingin' at a hundred! You really going to throw your life away? Here? Like this? To _me_?!"

Shinai scowled. "I may fall. But not today. And it won't be at your hand."

Vegas stopped, chuckling. "You sure about that?!" He charged forwards again, Dragon's Fang soaring through the air, missing the samurai's face by mere centimeters; the Vale huntsman responding by spinning around his opponent, boot planted into the small of Gold's back, sending him hurtling forwards to crash into a column, the pillar shattering from the impact.

The killer, though, quickly shot back to his feet, irritatedly marching towards his opponent, smile dropped. "Fine then! No more playing around!" He roared and leapt into the air-

Poof.

Shinai reappeared beneath Vegas, grabbing him by the ankle and ripping back down to the ground, face meeting concrete. The samurai flipped over the killer, boot stomping down brutally on the back of the blonde's head, ground splintering under the blow. Gold was quick to respond though, clambering to his feet and slashing viciously at the samurai, blade meeting blade as the older fighter pushed his entire body weight against Shinai's.

The huntsman's eyes widened as he stared at the spot the blades met, the glowing gold of Dragon's Fang slowly beginning to carve into Shi En's steel, and he slipped to the side in desperation, letting Vegas' force carry him forwards to carve through the bench of one of Beacon's fountains, steam rising through the air as his blade plunged into the water. Gold growled in frustration, turning on his heel with a steaming arm, the two fighters reaching another impasse, staring one another down.

"You're going to die here _! Just accept it_!"

"'Accept the things that you cannot change; change the things that you cannot accept.'" Shinai spat back resolutely, katana unwavering.

Vegas began to tremble in rage- then rushed forwards with a scream of fury.

The sound of metal clashing against metal spilled out into the night, the two warriors fighting desperately against one another, neither the killer nor the samurai giving an inch.

* * *

Daria stumbled to a stop, body screaming at her in agony, nearly dropping Nash to the ground. The Atlesian soldiers manning the safe zone jolted in surprise at the sudden appearance of the girl. "Ma'am!" One called out, rushing towards her. "Are you alright-"

"Help him." She muttered tiredly, letting him take the unconscious boy from her arms, collapsing so that she was laying on her forearms, trying her hardest to steady her breathing. Another soldier came over to her side, throwing a blanket around her.

"Are you alright?" She asked. "Are you hurt?"

The diminutive huntress shook her head shakily. "I'm fine- Nash. Nash is hurt. Help him. _Please_."

"We've got him. Come on," The Atlesian helped her up, taking her towards one of the airbuses- before the short huntress shook her head.

"No," Daria muttered. "Not without my team."

"Okay," The soldier said comfortingly, helping her sit down. "We can't wait too long, though."

"That's… fine." The leader of DRGN managed to utter, shifting over so that she was sitting next to Nash, the Atlesian medics seeing to his injuries. She reached a shaky hand out, burying it in his hair, head falling as the stress finally washed over her, tears welling in her eyes, shoulders beginning to shake.

Even as the sounds of battle continued to rage in the background.

"You get the feeling this night's not even close to being over?" One soldier asked, voice filled with exhaustion.

Another one sighed, shaking his head. "I've got the feeling this night's not gonna be over for a _long_ time."

* * *

 **A/N: I. AM. ALIVE.**

 **I HAVE RETURNED.**

 **THE RUMORS OF MY DEMISE HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED.**

 **I'm back and all is right with the world.**

 **Right, so, update! For those of you who don't follow my Tweeter account- I got a concussion! It was great and I never want to do that again. It's been a hella slow recovery, but we have made it, blessed be.**

 **There are those of you who may be sitting here thinking... 'haven't I read this before'? Yeah, you probably did. I needed to redo it because I was embarrassed to have this on the internet. My hands had been sullied for even writing it. Now I'm happy with it. Hooray.**

 **But, while I was recovering from smashing my noggin against the pavement- I have been keeping busy! I went through and cleaned up a lot of things I noticed in my extended forced vacation, so that's nice. I also rewrote the first two chapters of Volume 2! So they're actually readable now. Again, like the Vol 1 rewrites, you don't have to go back and reread them if you don't want to. There's nothing *new* per se.**

 **Alongside that, I finally finished all of the concept arts for Teams DRGN and SOUL- all of which can be found at my twitter account, Infernokota.**

 **Other than that, I'm finally starting to get better, so fingers crossed that we can finish Volume 3 before something _else_ horrible happens.**

 **In the meanwhile; I've been Infernokota,**

 **Cheers.**


	27. Chapter 11: When It Falls

**Chapter 11: When It Falls**

* * *

The lobby of the hospital buzzed with anxious energy, dozens of eyes peering out of the windows and doors facing the streets, a low, nervous murmur spilling out over them.

"Stay calm, everyone," One doctor was saying. "We're alright in here. We have security measures. Everything's going to be okay. We just need everyone to stay calm."

The unspoken caveat of what would happen if they _didn't_ stay calm hung over the heads of the hospital's denizens.

"How long are we gonna be stuck here?" One patient, a younger girl, asked.

"Not much longer."

All eyes turned to the back of the crowd as a new figure began lurching his way forwards.

Sise Tsuki's eyes were locked on the exit, hard with fury. Behind him, he dragged Theia along, the greatsword scraping across the ground. His knuckles were bruised and bloody- the same blood speckled across the sword's segmented blade.

The green crystal blade hidden within, though, was glowing vibrantly from base to tip, speckles of the same green light floating into the air.

The huntsman continued to drag his way forwards, reaching the door before one of the security guards put a stern hand onto his shoulder. "I can't let you go out there, sir." The man said.

Tsuki simply glared the man down silently for a long few moments, until the guard relented, hands held in the air. The veteran huntsman nodded, opening the door manually, marching out into the chaotic streets of Vale.

He looked around himself for a long few moments, taking stock of the unfortunately high number of grimm, rogue Atlesian bots, and who knew what else. Sise shook his head as he peered around- before letting out a sharp whistle, ringing out through the relatively quiet city street.

All eyes- grimm and artificial alike- turned to him, a beowolf letting out a monstrous howl, before the creatures began to descend upon them, dozens of enemies charging the lone huntsman.

Tsuki calmly, but ungracefully, struggling with the weight, raised Theia high into the air, the blade beginning to glow more earnestly, green light coloring his arms as he pumped more of his aura into the sword. With one yell of effort and anger, he brought the blade crashing down to the ground.

Where the sword carved, a wave of green light began, blazing out into the street with ridiculous speed. As it carved forwards, it widened- and widened-

And widened, until the wave filled the street in a monstrous cone of energy. Any grimm or bots caught in it were lifted off of their feet, before being shredded apart by the energy.

The roaring of the attack ceased, and as suddenly as it was unleashed, the wave dispersed, plunging the street into eerie silence.

Tsuki fell to a knee, coughing hard, blood splattering onto the pavement before him, Theia dropped to the ground. He sat there for a long moment, before the doors to the hospital opened, a few guards hesitantly stepping out. Satisfied that the way was clear, they began feverishly ushering the doctors, nurses, and patients out into the street and towards the parking lot beyond, beginning the process of packing as many people into the vehicles as possible.

The guard who had attempted to stop Sise rushed forwards, helping the huntsman to his feet. "Thank you," He said, voice wavering. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Tsuki coughed again, shaking his head. "It's… my job."

"You've saved these people today. Thank you, thank you-"

"-Please… that's enough."

The guard nodded, beginning to help the barely conscious huntsman towards their escape- before the heavy flapping of wings made them stop, the guard's eyes widening in horror.

Sise, however, bowed his head, letting out a sigh of relief as a shadow passed over them. The guard spun on his heel, drawing a pistol and aiming it at the sky. The huntsman simply grabbed his forearm, lowering the gun. "It's a… friend."

The flapping got closer and louder, the guard's eyes disbelieving of what was coming towards them.

With an uproar of wind, and fallen black feathers, Corvus Gallant landed hard onto the asphalt, grey eyes looking over the two men. Tsuki patted the guard's shoulder, gesturing towards the parking lot with his head. "Go."

The guard shakily nodded, turning on his heel and taking off running.

The two huntsmen looked at each other, Corvus' massive, brilliant black wings folding against his back, his tailcoat long lost.

"You were… in town and didn't… even come see me…" Tsuki muttered, nearly falling before the taller warrior grabbed him, helping him to a standing position.

"You didn't invite me," The faunus shot back coolly, dragging his friend over to the fallen greatsword, hefting it up. "Saw your light show from three blocks away. How long have you known you could do that much?"

"Oh… about… now…"

Corvus snickered, wrapping both arms around his old teammate. "C'mon, Tsuki. Let's get you out of this hellhole."

" _Please_ …"

With another rush of wind and beating wings, the two huntsmen took flight, soaring high into the sky and towards the outskirts of the city.

* * *

Vegas roared as he swung Dragon's Fang viciously, yet again parried away by Shinai, the samurai's purple eyes never once losing their burning hatred for his opponent. Gold immediately followed up with a shoulder bash, missing as Shinai spun away, metal boot striking out to catch him in the back of the knee, before following up with a knee of his own, striking his opponent at the base of his neck, the killer stumbling forwards.

Gold, though, immediately spun on his heel, blade slashing out in a wide arc, catching Shinai across the chest, sending the samurai stumbling away. The killer dashed after him, looking to push his advantage, face twisted in rage, teeth bared, wide eyes manic.

The huntsman recovered quickly, bringing Shi En to parry the golden blade into the air, turning on his heel to plant a vicious flat-footed kick to Vegas' chest, sending the killer soaring away, smashing against the fountain, water spilling out to drench the pavement below.

Gold growled, punching a hand down into the water, before shooting back to his feet, charging after his enemy, swinging out with wide slashes, never quite making contact as Shinai continued to skillfully avoid the criminal's attacks- parrying some, side-stepping others, Vegas' blade cutting through the pavement. The samurai took the opportunity to go on the offensive, a broad slash striking across Gold's chest, followed by another, the younger warrior pushing his enemy back, the heavy golden blade of the criminal too slow to block the incoming attacks.

Finally, Vegas managed to bring Dragon's Fang up, Shi En bouncing off of the sword, a vicious grin spreading across the killer's face, his free hand lashing out and grabbing the edge of Shinai's armor, pivoting and hurling him towards the fountain. The samurai smashed through the center piece, marble crashing down around him as he came slamming down into the metal floor of the fountain, the thin layer of water splashing up around him. Vegas leapt forwards, tackling the recovering huntsman to the ground, before dragging them both to their feet, bodily throwing Shinai away.

The samurai collided with a pillar, the pieces crumbling down around him. He slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees, gritting his teeth in pain, burning purple eyes turning to the giddy criminal scrambling from the ruins of the fountain. Shinai shot to his feet quickly, blade held at the ready, letting the criminal come to him- Vegas took the chance to charge forwards, tip of his blade dragging across the ground, throwing sparks up, before lunging forwards, sending Dragon's Fang straight at the samurai's heart.

Shinai leapt out of the way of the strike, boots meeting the remains of the column, vaulting over his enemy to land in a roll on the ground, immediately dashing forwards with a wicked stab of his own, missing as Vegas swiveled his body, Shi En impaling into the pillar. Gold slashed down at the outstretched arm of the younger warrior, Shinai pulling his limbs in at the last moment. He lashed out with a vicious palm strike, sending it straight for the killer's nose. Gold dodged the strike again, grabbing the samurai's arm and spinning, sending him flying back across the courtyard. Shinai's armored hand struck out, the katana ripping free from the pillar, smoothly catching it before stabbing it into the pavement, stalling his momentum.

Shinai looked up to Vegas, the madman's smile Cheshire-like, duel sets of hatred filled eyes meeting before they dashed towards each other again.

They didn't get far, though, before an explosion rocked the city. Both fighters stopped in their tracks, eyes shooting to the night sky, filled with flames;

The last Atlesian warship was enveloped in fire, slowly plummeting down to the city below.

Gold's eyes widened a touch. "Ah, shit. _Roman_ ," He turned back to Shinai with a snarl. "Lucky brats. I'll just have to make your death extra painful. As a last gift to him."

The duo raised their swords again, bringing them down in duel arcs towards one another.

* * *

Lance stopped mid-swing, skidding to a stand-still as he watched in surprise as the Atlesian android go limp, red lights fading.

"Oh!" He called out, blinking, a grin spreading across his face. "Ruby brought that ship down! Holy shit, she did it!"

"Hell yeah," Oracle muttered tiredly, dark bags hanging under her eyes, heavy smoke rising from her arms. "That's… one down… two t' go."

The swordsman turned on his heel to her, frowning. "Ah. Shit. O, you okay?"

"Yea', I'm fine. We ready to keep movin'?"

"No," The blonde stepped towards her, putting his hands on her shoulders, staring into her eyes. "Yeah, no. You're not good. You're dead on your feet."

She weakly slapped his hands away. "I'm fine. You can' tell me I'm not."

"I can. I will. I'm getting you back to the others, and you're getting out of here."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And what about you."

"I've still got gas in the tank, and there's still people that need to get saved."

"I'm not-"

"You are, even if it's only because you can't stop me from draggin' your tired ass away."

Oracle stared him down for a long few moments, before sighing in resignation, body going limp. "Aight."

Lance threw her arm over his shoulder, helping the exhausted huntress limp back in the direction of their fellow huntsmen. "It's gonna be aight, O. We're both gonna get outta this mess one way or another."

She leaned her head against his shoulder, eyes slowly closing. "You better…"

* * *

"Oracle!" Yang shouted, dashing towards the two huntsmen, lilac eyes wide with terror.

Lance raised a hand to her. "She's alright. Just overdid it with the golden shots."

"Oh, you dumb, _dumb_ hick," The brawler muttered, taking Oracle from the swordsman. "And where do you think you're going?"

He shrugged, looking back out at Beacon. "Oh, you know. Doin' my huntsman thing. No biggie."

"Lance-" She began sternly.

His blue eyes shifted from light-hearted to stone cold in an instant. "There's still people out there. I'm not leavin' until I know that everyone that can get out, did. Aight? You guys hold down the fort here. I'll be back," He hit her shoulder, smile coming back to his face. "C'mon, it's me. Lance. I'm way too hard to get rid of."

Yang looked from him, down to Oracle, sighing. "You better come back, dumbass."

"Wouldn't dream of it otherwise, bimbo."

The two blondes shared small smiles before he gave her a two fingered salute, dashing back out into the depths of Beacon. She watched him go for a moment, before turning down to the barely conscious form of Oracle hanging off her shoulder.

"Fine," She muttered, as much to herself as to the gunslinger. "I approve of him." The brawler turned on her heel, beginning the slow march to the small safe zone the huntsmen had cleared out, just inside the boundaries of the school campus.

* * *

Vegas' blade fell first, missing as Shinai feinted, Dragon's Fang burying itself into the stone. The samurai spun around his enemy, drawing a vicious strike across the killer's back, before immediately leaping, using his momentum to land a nasty kick across Gold's ear, the older warrior stumbling a few feet from the impact.

Shinai pushed his advantage, reappearing in a cloud of smoke above the killer, falling with a downward swing. Vegas dodged to the side at the last moment, letting the samurai drop to the floor, immediately turning, moving to kick Vegas' leg out from under him. The criminal leapt the strike, lashing out with a stab to his enemy's chest.

Shi En lashed back out, parrying the golden blade into the air, giving Shinai room to spin to his feet, a stab sent towards Vegas' throat. The killer's eyes widened as he swiveled out of the way at the last moment, the blade instead carving a thick lock of hair from his head.

Gold's hand went to his head, a scowl crossing his face as he let loose with another wide, wild swing, smashing his heavier blade against the base of Shi En's blade, sending the katana clattering to the ground. Shinai hardly reacted, striking out with his fist, the golden criminal's sword hand coming up to block against the blow, the same happening with the other arm-

Before the samurai struck out with a hard headbutt, Vegas' head flying back, his hands moving out to the side. Shinai immediately balled both hands into fists, cracking them against both of the killer's temples, Gold's ears immediately ringing from the blows.

Shinai lashed out with two forearms in quick succession, before planting a boot into Vegas' chest, then leapt, two more lightning fast kicks separating the fighters, the samurai scooping up Shi En as he leapt away. He landed in a spin, hurling the katana at his opponent.

Gold's grin returned, parrying the blade away to the outskirts of the courtyard, intently watching as the samurai shot to his feet with a scowl, dashing forwards. Shinai leapt into the air, jerking his hand back, his steel blade carving back through the air at Vegas' knees, sending a vicious flying kick at the killer's head.

The older warrior, though, left the ground as well, arcing his back with a smug, satisfied grin as he arced his back; ducking the kick, but leaping over the blade. Shinai immediately spun with the criminal, however, grabbing either side of his head, crashing him dome-first into the pavement. The huntsman landed in a roll, drawing Shi En back to his hand, resolutely marching towards the dazed, groaning criminal, moving onto his hands and knees.

Without a second of hesitation, the samurai sent a heavy swipe to the back of Vegas' neck.

* * *

Rainier's feet hit the pavement in a rotating, mismatched pattern, the faunus' gait quickly deteriorating, body screaming in agony from the exertion, his eyes hazy; his skin, hair, and tracksuit soaked with sweat.

After a moment, he ducked to the side into a long-abandoned shop, collapsing onto his hands and knees, struggling for breath, wheezing, muscles quaking.

" _Come on_ ," He hissed to himself. "You have more than _this_. Come on… _come on…_ "

His hand lashed out to grab the edge of a display, shakily struggling back to his feet, tail limp behind him. He stood for a moment, using the ransacked shelf for support as he mustered all of the strength he could. With one last deep breath, and a shaky swallow, mouth bone dry, he turned on his heel, lurching back out into the street.

The Vacuoan sighed, whirling around to stare out at the city, the night awash with flames. "Just a little longer." He whispered, before taking off at a run again, slowly forcing himself to speed up. The faunus rushed to and fro, ears and eyes peeled for anyone- huntsmen, civilian, or otherwise- that was in need of help, sticking near buildings, the burning home with the father and child never far from mind.

Then, his eyes shot to the sky, to a nevermore flying overhead- much smaller than the one who had attacked the colosseum, but still decently sized nonetheless. In its talons, though, was the starkly obvious form of a human or faunus. Rainier's eyes narrowed, leaping into the air, kicking off the building to his side with the aid of a cannon shot, careening towards the grimm and its captive. He collided with the creature, striking out with a vicious kick, sending all three crashing down to the ground- the figure rolling out of its grip, the nevermore going limp, and the Vacuoan himself tumbling across the pavement, letting out a scream of pain.

Despite that, he scrambled back to his feet, stumbling towards the other teen who'd pushed himself onto his hands and knees; his skin unnaturally pale, flesh and clothes splattered red. Rainier pulled his jacket off, intent on handing it to the shaking boy.

"Hey," The faunus said, keeping his voice as still as he could. "I've got you-" As he neared him, the boy collapsed, only failing to fall to the asphalt as the huntsmen dashed forwards, catching him in his arms. "Talk to me, friend."

He turned him over, the boy staring up at him with hazy, unfocused eyes, mouth gaping, struggling to form words, hands limply reaching out for the faunus' face.

"Kassandra…" The teen managed to utter, voice cracking and _weak_. "Tell… I'm… sorry…" He trailed off, hands slowly falling, shaky breaths slowing. His eyes turned to the night sky, and he was gone.

Rainier stared at him wide-eyed.

The moment seemed to drag on for eternity, the faunus staring down into the unmoving teen's face.

Slowly, the world began to come back to the Vacuoan, the unsettlingly real feeling of something warm soaking his arms beginning to register.

Rainier gasped back to life, waves of horror washing over him as he clambered to his feet, looking down at the red coating his arms, mortified gasps escaping his lips as he began feverishly trying to wipe the blood off of him in vain, scrambling backwards from the dead teen, chest rising and falling shallowly, a panic beginning to overtake him.

The Vacuoan turned on his heel, stumbling away from the boy and the nevermore, grabbing his jacket as he ran.

* * *

Shi En moved centimeters from Vegas' neck, flying true- but not before the killer looked out of the corner of his eye at Shinai, gold eyes wide with manic satisfaction, a twisted smile crossing his face.

He corkscrewed in place with ridiculous speed, a hand latching onto Shinai's gauntlet, sending the samurai careening over him to smash into the pavement. Vegas didn't let go of him, however, rolling so that he was on top of the samurai, still clutching the captured arm.

"Third time's a charm!" He barked out, other hand reaching out to latch onto the huntsman's face, covering his mouth, his semblance activating, the samurai's skin beginning to burn in ungodly pain. "Here we are, samurai! Your last moments! Only mine! Breathe it in- I'll be the only one here to watch you _die!_ "

Shinai roared in fury behind the hand, bucking his hips as he tried in vain to knock the larger fighter off- then his eyes narrowed, taking a deep steadying breath.

Poof.

Vegas blinked owlishly as he struggled to comprehend what had happened- then reality whirred back to him, the wind rushing passed his ears as he and Shinai began to free fall, hundreds of feet in the air.

He let out a panicked scream, before turning furious eyes to the samurai; the huntsman glared right back at him, sending out a swipe at his enemy as they continued to free fall. Gold spun with the blow, whirling out of control as one of the dorm roofs began to rush towards him.

Both samurai and killer crashed hard against the roof, tiles dislodging and drywall cracking with the impact, the two fighters tumbling across the roof- falling to the ground far below.

Poof.

Shinai landed in a crouch, huffing in exhaustion, the duel Death Blossom taking a heavy blow out of his aura reserves. Vegas, though, plummeted directly into the pavement, a massive spiderweb of cracks spilling out from under him.

The samurai dashed forwards, immediately penalty kicking the criminal across the jaw, stumbling forwards with the excess momentum. Gold groaned as he shifted in place, shakily pushing himself onto his knees, glaring with pure hatred at the turning samurai.

"YOU THINK THAT THIS IS WINNABLE?!" He roared, voice cracking. "YOU THINK- EVEN IF YOU KILL ME; _WE_ HAVE THE DAMN MAIDEN! _WE_ HAVE THE WYVERN! YOU HAVE _LOST_ , SAMURAI!"

Shinai didn't react, beginning his steady march back to his foe, Gold stumbling to his feet, face twisting in fury as he roared at his enemy.

"YOU, OZPIN, THIS _PIECE OF SHIT WORLD WE LIVE IN-_ YOU'VE _LOST_! OUR QUEEN HAS MADE _DAMN SURE_ OF THAT!"

That made the samurai's eyes narrow, stopping in place, twirling his blade. "Why." He asked solemnly.

"Why? Why?! _WHY_?!" Gold struck out with Dragon's Fang, carving through the dormitory's doors like it was nothing. "BECAUSE THIS WORLD'S GOTTA END! AND WHEN SHE GIVES US OUR NEW ONE- IT WILL BE A FUCKING _PARADISE_!" He trembled in rage, hands gripping into white-knuckled fists. "And _none_ of you are gonna live to see it. But _you_ … I'm going to hang your corpse from the highest rafters, the grandest gate! So everyone will know that I! KILLED! _YOU!"_

He let out a scream of pure rage and hatred, before lunging forwards.

* * *

Gail huffed, hand pressed against Ulysses to keep standing, dark eyes looking up to the giant's own. "…You okay?" She asked quietly.

He looked down to her, one hand reaching out to wrap around her arm, holding her steady. The hulking huntsman's eyes were his own- but glassy, almost _blank._ He nodded, looking her up and down himself.

Yang stopped by the duo mid-run, lilac eyes turning to them in concern. "You guys holding up okay?"

The archer gave her a weak thumbs up, managing a small smile- before it dropped. "Where… are you going?"

The brawler looked into Beacon, sighing. "Blake went in there, and no one's seen her since. I've gotta go find her."

"Have we heard from Shinai?" Gail asked.

Yang shook her head. "Nothing. He won't answer his Scroll either. I'm going to try and get as many of our own out as we can."

"Okay," The taller girl whispered as the brawler took off again. "Be safe…" She watched her go until she was out of sight, face falling. "I hope Daria and Nash got out okay…" She turned her gaze to the other huntsmen around her- Oracle, Weiss, Ren, and Nora, barely conscious; others still standing, but all looking exhausted. The students had given up trying to retake Beacon, simply holding the line for as long as they could as the last people escaped or were rescued from the campus.

The archer sighed, fishing her Scroll from her pocket, trying Rainier's number again- going immediately to voicemail. She buried her face in her hands in frustration for a moment- before trying Daria.

After what felt like eternity, the diminutive huntress answered. "… _Gail_?"

"Oh, thank the gods…" She whispered. "Are you two alright?"

" _I_ …" Daria trailed off. " _No. Nash_ …"

"Is he…"

" _He's alive. His hands… they're… it's not good_ …" The DRGN leader sucked in a shaky breath.

"Who… who did it?"

" _Nash_ …" There was a beat of silence. " _Nash said the golden guy did it_."

Gail didn't say anything for a long moment. "Are you two-"

" _We're in Vale, they're making a safe zone… please… get here_."

The archer looked at Ulysses, before turning her gaze to Beacon Tower, the Wyvern swooping around it, more and more grimm falling from its inky flesh. "…Not until everyone's out,"

Daria said nothing.

"Dar-"

" _Where's Rainier_."

"I… I don't know. He won't answer."

Her leader went silent for a moment, the barest hints of a smothered sob coming through, before the Mistrali sniffed. " _Okay. Talk later_."

The line went dead.

Gail dropped her Scroll to the ground, closing her eyes, face falling in misery. Ulysses hesitantly reached a hand up, clasping her shoulder and giving it a small squeeze.

"Thank you." The archer whispered.

" _RAINIER!_ "

The huntress' eyes shot back open, turning to where Weiss seemed to gasp back to life, pale eyes wide. The faunus stumbled into the courtyard, lurching towards his friends and teammates, eyes wide, face a mask of horror- the front of his chest and arms coated with drying blood. The Vacuoan collapsed as he reached the safety of his fellow huntsman, going limp on the ground. The students still standing rushed to him, all eyes locked onto the huffing, wheezing faunus in wide-eyed concern.

"Gods." Neptune muttered.

Weiss shot to her feet, scrabbling her way to him, hands gripping the back of his dark shirt as she reached him. "Rainier. Rainier, please- are you-" She stopped as he slowly shifted onto his knees, catching sight of the blood. "Oh my- are you hurt? Are you-"

"It's not mine." He whispered, voice hoarse. He said nothing else, pale yellow eyes lifeless as he stared at the pavement. The Atlesian heiress' arms went to his shoulders, looking him up and down in shock. She pulled him into a hug, regardless of the sticky, nearly dried blood covering him. He didn't return it, hardly reacting.

"What happened, man? Where you been?" Sun asked, kneeling down to his fellow Vacuoan. "We haven't seen you since the Colosseum."

His mouth moved to form words, though nothing came out for a long moment. Finally, he swallowed hard, deigning to look around at his friends. "Where's… where's everyone else?"

"Yang, Lance, Shinai went back into the school," Weiss muttered, leaning back from him, her momentary shot of energy spent, eyes cast back down to the asphalt. "Daria and… and Nash went into the city. He… he's hurt."

"Pyrrha?" The faunus asked quietly. "Jaune?"

"They-"

"They left," Gail cut in, hands folded in front of her. "We don't know where."

Rainier looked up at her, as if just registering his partner, eyes scanning over her form, before he turned forwards again, shaking his head. "…This wasn't suppose to happen." He said quietly.

"Hey-" Sun said, putting his hands on the wolf's shoulders. "Breathe, man. In and out. Just breathe."

The other faunus didn't comply, glassy eyes nearly unblinking.

"You're gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay," Sun continued. "Weiss- help, please."

The Atlesian leaned forwards again, pulling the wolf into another hug. This time, he reciprocated, holding her to himself tightly, face buried into her neck

* * *

Shinai sucked in a breath, dashing backwards, out of reach of Vegas' wild strikes, broad slashes getting closer and closer, the killer losing himself in a mad rage. The samurai's eyes widened as he felt the heat of a raging fire get closer behind him, his back nearly touching the flames. He Death Blossomed away moments before Gold's blade struck true, reappearing a short few meters away, stumbling as he landed.

Vegas turned on his heel, frothing with fury. "STOP RUNNING, AND JUST _DIE_!"

He charged after the defensive samurai, leaping and stabbing out with Dragon's Fang, missing as Shinai leapt to the side, landing in a sloppy roll, before scrambling back to his feet, Shi En's blade pointed steadfastly at his enemy- stock still, despite his muscles screaming at him in protest.

Gold landed in a roll of his own, crashing his fists into the ground, lips curled back in a snarl, the coy, giddy warrior from earlier in the battle long gone. He turned on his heel as he climbed to his feet, manic golden eyes not leaving the samurai's as he furiously began to storm towards his opponent, body trembling in hatred. He roared and lunged forwards again, a vicious blade strike aimed towards Shinai's head, missing only as Shi En came up skillfully, parrying the blade away.

The two fought to a standstill; the killer's violent, enraged strikes slashing out wildly, the samurai's own blade masterfully parrying any shots away, even as he himself began to falter, his strength rapidly leaving him.

Finally, Vegas managed to feint wide, Shinai's katana striking out to parry the blow, overextending himself with wide purple eyes. Gold brought his knee up, burying it into the samurai's stomach, getting him to double over, a gasp of air rushing from him. The golden criminal immediately followed up, bashing the base of Dragon's Fang against the back of his enemy's head, sending the samurai face first into the pavement, a nasty crack ringing out through the courtyard.

Vegas planted a brutal kick into Shinai's midsection, sending the samurai rolling away, groaning quietly in pain as he slowly began pushing himself to his knees. Gold didn't give the samurai long to relent, slashing out viciously, catching his enemy across the cheek-

With a small splatter of blood.

Gold let out a cackle of satisfaction, rushing towards Shinai, eyes wide with manic glee. The huntsman, momentarily distracted by the blood beginning to fall down his cheek, didn't notice the killer's charge until he was already upon him, golden blade swinging out horizontally.

At the last moment, Shinai brought his katana up, the two blades meeting as he saved himself from a quick death. He reached up with his other hand, bracing Shi En as Vegas bared down on him with all of his weight, leering with a wide, twisted smile into the samurai's face.

The huntsman scowled in effort, forcing his body to push with all of his strength, bucking Gold forwards-

 _Schink._

Time slowed to a crawl for Shinai, his purple eyes widening, staring at Shi En-

The blade split in two, Dragon's Fang cutting through the metal, sending the two shards into the air, the firelight shining in their reflection. His eyes followed their trajectory as they fell to the ground, bouncing slightly before coming to a stop.

All at once, Shinai came back to reality, Vegas' golden blade ripping through the exposed half of the samurai's shirt, cutting through the black cloth to the flesh underneath, carving a decent gouge into his chest. The samurai spun with the blow, gaze never leaving the halves of Shi En tumbling away, purple eyes wide in pure shock.

Vegas stumbled forwards with the pure momentum from his follow-through, nearly tripping over Shinai, before catching himself, turning quickly to the samurai.

The younger warrior hadn't risen to his feet yet- nor had he moved at all, wide, purple eyes staring at the remains of his sword. Slowly, he lifted himself to his hands and knees, crawling forwards to pick the halves of Shi En up, hands shaking, face stuck in an endless mask of horror.

" _Oops_ ," Vegas cooed lowly, cocking his head to the side. "So that's it, hm?" He muttered, voice little more than a low rumble, blade dragging across the ground, throwing sparks in the air as he began to lurch towards his enemy. "All I had to do… was break your little sword? You're _pathetic,_ "

Shinai never looked up at him.

"That's the thing I've learned about you people," The killer continued. "That's all it takes… you lose your suit, your sword, your friends; and what are you? Just children. It's a _blessing_ that I kill you… because the world would do so much worse to you,"

He stopped before the samurai, crouching down to eye level with him, head cocked to the side, looking into his enemy's pale face, his shocked eyes. "But _you_? Mm… I'm going to _enjoy_ this; this isn't business. _This_ is personal. This-" He gestured around them, at the campus burning to the ground around them. "The electricity in the air, when you're just _aching_ to kill someone…" He took a deep breath in. "…I haven't felt this in a _long_ time. For our last moments- remember the name Vegas Gold. Remember the man that _finally_ _killed you_ ,"

Vegas rose to his feet, taking a step back to give himself room, staring intently into Shinai's face, Dragon's Fang raising high into the air. "Game."

* * *

Airbuses began to descend onto Beacon, civilians boarding first, slowly shuttling the survivors away from the school

Port and Oobleck climbed out of one, looking out over the huntsmen. "That's it!" The former professor called out, waving for them to begin boarding. "Everybody on board! This is a mandatory evacuation!"

"A safe zone has been established in Vale!" Oobleck added. "Please, remain calm and listen to Atlas personnel!"

The students' eyes, however, barely turned to the teachers, instead locked onto the two bodies on the ground.

No one even noticed as Ruby came charging forwards, Zwei by her side, barking urgently. The short huntress skid to a stop with wide eyes, staring at her friends and teammates. "What-"

"Ruby!" Weiss cried, pulling herself away from Rainier, rising to her feet and turning to her leader.

The two partners embraced. "I'm so glad I found you guys!" Ruby said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Where have you-"

"Don't worry, I'm fine! What's going on?"

Weiss struggled for words for a moment, face falling in grief, turning to the ground.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked, voice quiet. "What is it?"

The Atlesian stepped to the side, giving her leader a better view of what everyone else's gazes were turned towards;

Blake and Yang were laying on the ground with the other injured huntsmen- the former was curled into herself, her midsection wrapped heavily in bloody bandages. The latter huntress was unconscious-

Her right arm missing from the elbow down, the remaining stub wrapped in bandages as well.

The former White Fang shakily reached over to her partner, tears falling freely down her face. "I'm sorry," She whispered. Ruby reached a shaky hand of her own out to her teammate and sister, tears of her own welling in her eyes. "I'm so sorry…" Blake finished, screwing her eyes tight, face falling in agony.

"Yang…" The leader of RWBY said quietly, voice wavering in shock.

"It was Adam," Rainier whispered. "It was Adam. _Adam's here_."

"Hey," Sun said, walking up to the short huntress. "She's gonna be okay. The soldiers have a ship ready to take you guys to Vale."

"But…" Nora began weakly. "Jaune and Pyrrha are still missing." She tried to climb to her feet- before collapsing, holding her side, a groan of pain escaping her lips.

"What?!" Ruby cried, silver eyes widening.

"Lance…" Oracle muttered, not opening her eyes. "Shinai… they're… still in there."

Sun shook his head sternly, blue eyes hard. "Look, guys, that giant thing is still circling the school! Hell, even the White Fang are pulling out! We all have to leave, _now_!"

"We're not- leaving!" Ren spat, trying in vain to climb to his feet, before falling to his knees, face screwing up in pain.

Ulysses clenched his hands into tight fists. "Not without my team."

Sun moved to retort, before turning to Blake and Yang, face falling in concern.

"I'll find them…" Ruby said quietly, before adding more confidently, "I'll find them, and I'll bring them back."

"No!" Weiss said. " _We_ will find them," She looked over to the other huntsmen. "Watch after Blake and Yang. We'll be back."

The two huntresses moved to run off- before the Atlesian jerked to a stop.

She turned, to Rainier, his hand gripping her wrist, head bowed, silver hair falling around his head messily. He said nothing, still holding her for a long moment.

Then he let go silently, body going limp.

"I'll be back," She said quietly. "I promise."

Rainier said nothing, gaze not rising from the ground. She shakily began to run off, joining Ruby ahead as they dashed back into the school.

"You better be!" Sun spat, gesturing angrily at them. "Buncha idiots."

* * *

The elevator of Beacon tower screeched audibly as it soared ever upwards, cutting through the smoke that had filled the shaft. Finally, it skidded to a stop suddenly. There was a beat of silence, before the doors went flying open.

Pyrrha's sword went flying from the elevator, soaring out into Ozpin's tattered office, red and gold weapon spinning through the air.

Cinder simply leaned to the side, a smug grin on her face as it tumbled past her.

The sword was swiftly followed by the Mistrali warrior's shield, Pyrrha herself quickly flying after it, both huntress and weapon slamming into the criminal with a dull 'whoomph', the red-headed warrior planting both boots onto its bronze surface, pushing off and away, shield falling to the ground.

Pyrrha landed solidly onto the ground, green eyes hard as she stared at Cinder. Her hands glowed black, sword and shield shooting back through the air to land in her hands, holding them out in a battle stance.

With a smug grin, Cinder lifted her hands- rising from the ground, a pillar of flame beneath her. She continued to wave, two streaks of fire shooting from her eyes, glowing brilliantly in the dark clocktower. She swatted a hand through the air, a slash of fire soaring towards Pyrrha, her shield rising to block it on instinct.

Immediately, the huntress rolled away, narrowly dodging a beam of fire blasting from Cinder's hand. The Mistrali shot back to her feet, spinning as she avoided another blast, balls of fire forming in a loose circle behind the criminal.

Cinder, her smirk fading slightly, let loose another beam, this time making impact as Pyrrha lifted her shield, the fire soaring around as she dug her boots into the ground. She leapt up and towards her opponent, pushing through the blast of fire, body curled behind the safety of her shield. Cinder dropped the attack as the huntress reached her, Pyrrha twirling and sending a vicious stab straight towards the killer's heart.

Cinder simply raised a hand, catching the blade in the air.

The criminal twirled her opponent in the air, letting loose a small fireball, sending Pyrrha flying back towards the elevator, crashing against the wall with a shout of pain, weapons falling from her hands. She shot to her feet quickly as Cinder soared towards her like a bullet, two pillars of flame blasting her towards the younger fighter.

Pyrrha leapt as the killer reached her, planting her boots onto the wall and narrowly swiveling her body around Cinder, looping one arm around the criminal's own. The huntress pushed off, flipping over her opponent and bodily threw her across the office.

The moment Cinder's shoulders touched the floor, she pushed off, flipping gracefully backwards, landing on her feet, smug look dropping in shock as the huntress reached her in moments, bashing into her with her shield. Pyrrha continued to twirl with her momentum, two swift slashes let loosed. Cinder raised her hands to the attacks, small sparks of red energy deflecting the blows away, before flipping backwards, flames following her foot's arc, heel crashing under the Mistrali's chin, sending her flying into the air.

Pyrrha righted herself quickly, hurling her javelin back forwards as she tumbled away. Cinder simply raised a hand quickly, bashing the weapon away, immediately lashing out to block the spinning bronze shield as well, gaze turning back towards the huntress, now twisted into a scowl.

The Mistrali huntress pushed off of the wall, shooting back across the office to slam into Cinder, wrapping her arms around her as they crashed into the ground, a small explosion echoing out around them.

Pyrrha quickly hefted her opponent back to her feet, sword slowly edging towards the criminal's throat, Cinder's hands wrapped around the blade, struggling against the younger warrior's grasp.

The two warriors scowled as the Wyvern flew around the tower, screeching; the movement of the beast drawing Pyrrha's gaze from her enemy, unaware of Cinder's hands beginning to glow with heat, the gold and red sword beginning to rend in her grip, twisting the metal with ease.

The Wyvern let loose another roaring screech, turning and soaring back towards the clocktower-

And Pyrrha's sword cleaved into thirds, breaking her grip and giving Cinder enough room to let loose with a vicious elbow, the force of the blow sending out a shockwave, the huntress flying away, the glass of the office shattering.

The grimm simultaneously crashed into the tower, ripping the very top of the clocktower off, massive gears falling around the fighters.

Pyrrha groaned from her spot sitting against the wall, shaking the impact from her head, before beginning to crawl forwards, trying to block the pain from her mind, the bronze of her shield tantalizingly close.

Cinder stared down smugly at her younger opponent, floating back in the air, head cocked to the side. The Mistrali's mind raced as she looked around the office, gaze shooting around, taking in the motley of gears around them.

With a shout of exertion, she leapt to her feet, hands glowing black as she swept them through the air, a massive half of a rent gear flying towards Cinder, impacting solidly and crashing the criminal down into the ground with a grunt. Pyrrha dove for her shield, pulling it into her grasp, landing in a roll, holding her shield above her.

Cinder shot like a bullet back into the air, the gear flying away, a scowl planted on her face. She let loose a flurry of fireballs, missing some as the Mistrali dashed and leapt around them- before finally making contact, sending Pyrrha tumbling away, fire littering the floor of Ozpin's office.

The criminal didn't get much time to relish in the small victory, as the bronze shield came spinning back towards her, a hand lashing out to bash it away-

And then her ember eyes widened in shock, turning upwards as dozen of gears floated above her. Pyrrha grit her teeth in concentration, hands waving in front of her, holding the hulking pieces of metal up. With a wave of her hand, her shield came back towards, taking Cinder's legs out from under her. Immediately, a gear collided with the killer's midsection, driving her down towards the ground. Pyrrha let out a growl, clenching her hands together, the remainder of the gears forming around the criminal, crushing down around her.

They'd only smothered her for a moment, before an explosion rang out through the clocktower, the gears flying away; one heading straight towards Pyrrha. The huntress didn't get the chance to react, the heavy hunk of metal colliding against her shield, sending her soaring back to slam into the wall again, a scream of pain escaping her lips as she fell to the ground.

* * *

Lance swung his greatsword out in a wide swing, cleaving the grimm's head clean from its body, joining its brethren dissipating on the ground. He let out a breath, huffing in exertion. "Holy shit," He muttered, looking up at the circling Wyvern high above. "I hate your friggin' guts."

He shook his head, continuing to march on. "Captain!" He called out, peering around the flames that had consumed the campus. "Captain, _poof_ if you can hear me!"

There was no response. He groaned, shaking his head. "If I've gotta spend one more friggin' minute in this hellhole, so help me, Captain."

He continued his steady march forwards for only a few steps, when a door came crashing open, a beowolf leaping from its interior latching its fangs around his arm. He let out a shout of surprise and pain as the duo pinwheeled from the momentum, the grimm trying to drag him off.

Lance, instead, scowled, passing his greatsword from his captured sword arm to his free hand, bashing the pommel against the creature's skull- once, twice, thrice- before it finally let go, stumbling backwards, disoriented. The swordsman skillfully flipped Iron Maw around, pirouetting in place, the massive sword carving through the air, before bisecting the grimm in two. He sighed, scowling at the beast.

"Stupid jumpscare mother-" He trailed off, hissing in pain as waves of agony began to wash over his arm… and his skin began to get soaked in warm liquid. He stabbed his sword into the ground, reaching over with his non-injured hand, and began ripping his sleeve off at the shoulder, letting it fall to the ground.

He stared at the bleeding wound wrapping around his upper arm, blood falling, thankfully not too heavily, down the rest of his arm, pale skin dying red. He sucked in a breath. "Ooh, that ain't good."

The swordsman picked his sleeve back up off of the ground, trying- with much effort- to wrap it around the wound, pulling tight with a wince, the bleeding beginning to slow.

Ripping Iron Maw back out of the ground, he looked off to the side, back the way he had come- airbuses landing, and taking off, thankfully finally beginning to usher civilians, and hopefully the other huntsmen, away.

Then he turned towards Beacon Tower, the Wyvern landing at the clocktower, Ozpin's office getting torn to shreds by the beast as it settled in. But more importantly than that; the chaotic glow of flames emanating from the shell of the tower, accompanied by the sound of metal striking against metal.

His eyes widened. "That's _definitely_ not good."

He looked between his two destinations for a moment- before taking off towards the CCT tower, greatsword held over his shoulder.

* * *

Cinder smiled at Pyrrha, holding a bow high, knocking an arrow tightly. The huntress let out a growl as she shot to her feet, dashing forwards and twirling, her shield cutting through the air towards the criminal. Cinder let the arrow fly, arrowhead meeting the edge of the shield- and began to shatter into glowing ashes, the bronze shield flying through it-

Then reformed on the other side, never loosing a hint of momentum.

The arrow flew true, ripping through Pyrrha's boot and piercing straight through. She screamed in pain as she fell to her knees, huffing as she tried to block the agony from her mind, stumbling back to a standing base;

And then fell again with another scream, hand shakily held out towards her pierced limb, hand glowing as she shattered it in two, letting the halves fall to the ground, pain allayed somewhat, turning back onto her hands and knees.

Cinder sauntered towards the huntress, shaking her head. "It's unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours to begin with," She rounded towards Pyrrha's head, kneeling down and holding her chin, turning the warrior's green gaze to her own. "But take comfort in knowing; I will use it in ways you never could have imagined."

Pyrrha weakly pulled away, staring determinedly up at the killer. "...Do you believe in destiny?" She whispered.

The smile dropped from Cinder's face, eyes going hard. " _Yes_."

She rose to her feet, bow reforming in her hands as she stepped back.

She knocked an arrow, staring down its length at Pyrrha.

She fired.

The arrow pierced Pyrrha's chest, a gasp escaping her, green eyes widening. The spot the arrow made contact with began to glow, smoke rising into the night sky.

Pyrrha put a hand to the wound, shakily letting loose choked gasps, struggling for breath.

Cinder strode towards her, cupping a hand against her face. The legendary huntress' form flashed golden-

And she began to disappear in a cloud of ash, whisked away by the wind.

Her crown hit the ground with a dull, empty clatter.

* * *

"Weiss!" Lance shouted, skidding to a stop at the base of Beacon Tower, eyes wide as he looked to the pale girl.

She turned to him, eyes equally as wide. "Lance! Where have you been?!"

"Looking for you dumb assholes! Where's-"

The Atlesian pointed at the tower, face a mask of fear. He followed her gaze to the red blur dashing up it. "Pyrrha's up there!"

"What the hell is- what the hell is Ruby- WHAT THE HELL?!"

"I don't know, alright?! Jaune told us that that someone powerful was up there, that Ozpin- that we don't know what happened to Ozpin, and that Pyrrha was going to fight them!"

"AND WHERE THE HELL IS-"

"I don't know!" She snapped back. "We just need to get-"

They were interrupted by an ear-piercing scream of grief, Ruby disappearing over the edge.

 _"PYRRHA!"_

Their eyes went wide in shock and horror, shooting to the clocktower high above.

"Ruby?" Weiss whispered, eyes going wide.

"What even-" The swordsman didn't get a chance to finish his thought-

As a brilliant, white supernova enveloped the entire top half of the tower, spilling out dozens of meters to the sides, the light bright enough to make the huntsmen below have to shield their eyes.

" _RUBY_!" Weiss shouted, face falling in terror.

* * *

Gold turned on his heel with wide eyes as Beacon Tower was enveloped in light, golden eyes widening in terror and realization.

"Cinder," He whispered, voice wavering. His breathing began to rise and fall faster and faster as the possibilities began to fill his mind. He instinctively began to run towards the tower- then stopped, turning back to Shinai. "This…" He raised his blade again, before turning back to the tower. His body began to tremble as his gaze shot back and forth. He let out a bellowing scream of fury. "YOU'RE LUCKY, SAMURAI!" He roared. " _YOU'RE LUCKY!_ I'LL BE BACK FOR YOU!"

He let loose another scream, curling into himself in pure frustration and anger, before taking off at a dead sprint to the tower, climbing the sides of buildings with ease, making his way ever upwards and upwards.

Leaving Shinai kneeling in the midst of his burning school, purple eyes staring down at the remains of the sword- not even mustering tears.

Just simply staring as Beacon burned around him.

* * *

Lance and Weiss dashed to the base of the tower, the swordsman looking over at her with deadly serious blue eyes. "Can you get me up there?"

"I- yes! I can!"

"Good, then-"

They froze at the sound of heavy wings beating behind them, turning on their heels; Corvus was speedily flying passed them, and up, ascending like a black bullet, before disappearing across the threshold of the shell of the clocktower.

"Who was that?!" Weiss snapped.

"I don't friggin' know!" Lance shot back, the duo backing up, looking up with duel grimaces of helplessness, waiting anxiously.

There were several beats of silence- before Corvus came barreling back off of the tower, speeding down towards them. He hit the ground hard, rising from a crouch, wings folding behind him.

In his hands was Ruby- unconscious, but still breathing.

Weiss let out a sob of relief, dashing forwards to the huntsmen. Lance, though, didn't move, face rising into a smile, before immediately falling.

"…Where's Pyrrha?"

Corvus slowly looked up at him, grey eyes dark with his answer. "…She was the only one I found."

There was a flurry of movement, Qrow Branwen dashing up to them. " _Ruby_!" He shouted, skidding to a stop, hands hovering over the girl. "What the hell happened up there?"

The faunus passed the girl to her uncle, face stony. "…Silver eyes, Qrow."

" _Shit_." The huntsman said, sucking in a breath.

Corvus didn't respond to him, reaching to his belt-

And pulled Pyrrha's crown off of it. He extended it to Lance. "…Sorry, kid."

Lance swallowed hard, blue eyes widening as he stared at the offered accessory. He slowly took it from the veteran huntsman. "…No," He whispered. "No, that's- there's-"

"That was all that was up there." Corvus said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"What about the person she was fighting? Maybe they-"

Qrow and the faunus shared a knowing look, the latter shaking his head. "She was gone too."

" _She_?!"

"She. But… there…" He sighed. "Your friend's gone, kid. Sorry."

"How do you know?!" Weiss pleaded, face crumbling in grief, holding onto the barest glimmer of hope. "If she's-"

"Weiss," Qrow said softly. "…We've gotta go."

That made the Atlesian fall apart, tears beginning to fall down her face, shaky sobs spilling out, her hands flying to her mouth.

Lance swallowed hard, forcing his face into a scowl, teeth grit as he tried in vain to keep his own tears in. " _No_." He spat.

"Excuse me?" Corvus asked, voice losing its sympathetic tone. "We. Have to. Go. _Right now."_

"Not without the captain." The swordsman shot back.

"Not without- there's no one left, kid!" The faunus hissed. "Everyone here is gone. And we've gotta go! Before it's too late."

"I'm not-"

" _You_ don't have a choice."

The duo stared down for a long few moments, watery blue staring into cold grey.

After a few moments, Qrow shook his head, an irritated scowl painted onto his own face. "Corvus- take the kid. I'll get them to safety."

"Qrow-" The faunus began.

"Just. Do it. If you find Kyani, great, if you don't, you get out."

Corvus stared at him for a moment, before snapping his attention back to the swordsman, holding a finger up. "You've got five minutes, kid. Five minutes! If we don't find him, we're out of here."

Lance nodded. "Then let's go," He stalled, gaze falling onto Ruby's unmoving face, swallowing hard. " _Stay safe, you guys_." His scowl came back, and he turned on his heel, jogging out into Beacon, Corvus right behind him.

* * *

The two huntsmen frantically scrambled around the campus, Lance shouting out for Shinai urgently. "CAPTAIN! _CAPTAIN!_ "

Corvus shook his head as they wheeled around. "It's useless, kid, we've gotta go."

"Not-"

"I said you had five minutes, and that's up! I'm not letting you die out here, kid! Alright?"

They stared off for a moment- before Lance shook his head. "Go. I'm not leaving without him."

"You don't have a choice. I'll knock your ass out and drag you back to Vale if I have to." Corvus shot back, grey eyes challenging. They locked gazes again, glaring one another down. After a long few moments, the swordsman averted his gaze, sighing in resignation-

Then his eyes widened in shock. He took off running away from the faunus, towards a billowing wall of flames- without hesitating, he leapt forwards, through it, screaming out in pain. He crashed down on the other side, a grimace cladding his face. Despite the burning pain, though, he shot back to his feet-

And dead sprinted towards Shinai.

The samurai was still on his knees, holding the two shards of Shi En tightly, the bottom left half of his face covered in blood, more blood falling from his hands where he was clutching the halves of the blade tightly, purple eyes stuck in a state of shock, never leaving the katana, even as his teammate came rushing up to him, falling into a slide.

The swordsman shook his leader urgently, grabbing his head and forcing him to look up. "Captain- _captain_ \- it's me, Lance. We've gotta _go_!"

Shinai slowly blinked, breaking himself from his trance, finally registering his teammate's presence. "L… Lance?"

The blonde huntsman let out a sigh of relief, hefting his leader to his feet. "Yeah, it's me, captain. We've gotta go."

"…Vegas. Vegas Gold."

"I'm sorry?"

"That's his name, the killer. Vegas Gold."

"Cool, that's great- we've. Got to. Go."

There was a rush of feathers as Corvus landed next to them, grey eyes appraising. "Good, great, we've got him. _It's time to go_ ," Lance nodded, the faunus wrapping his arms around the duo. "I can get the three of us out of the fire, but we're gonna have to go on foot after that."

"Fine," Lance snapped, patience wearing thing. "Just get us out of here."

The veteran huntsman, not looking very impressed with his younger counterpart, nodded nonetheless, the trio taking flight.

* * *

The transport ship piloted away from Beacon Academy, the school's enormous, sprawling campus wreathed in flames, crawling with grimm; hulking buildings burning, some already having collapsed, its pristine, white walls dark with soot. The CCT tower's top half was borderline gone, the clocktower nearly nonexistent- attached to it, was the Wyvern, its skin hard stone, unmoving- little more than a statue, staring out over the school.

The huntsmen stared out at their academy as it began to disappear out of view. Team JNPR, or… what was left of them, were huddled together, Jaune clutching Pyrrha's crown tightly in his hands, sobbing over it, Ren and Nora holding him tightly, tears of their own spilling down their faces.

Gail was standing in the corner, staring at the trio, face streaked with tears, though, no more were falling anew, the girl falling into her usual silence. Rainier, similarly, was sitting against the wall, hazy yellow eyes not ripping themselves from the crown, face emotionless.

Leaning against him was Weiss, curled into herself, his jacket wrapped around her shoulders, face buried into her arms, quietly sobbing.

The rest of RWBY were laid up on the seats of the bus- Yang and Blake next each other, the former still unconscious, the latter holding her hand tightly, crying quietly. Ruby herself was also unmoving, chest rising and falling with small breaths. Qrow stood over her, pink eyes locked onto his niece, colored with concern.

SOUL were occupying one of the corners, huddled together; Ulysses standing, staring out into space, dark eyes glassy; Lance sitting, looking around in grief at his friends; Oracle, unconscious, head in his lap, sleeping fitfully; and Shinai, still holding the shards of Shi En, face a mask of stone, staring out the window at the slowly appearing city of Vale, dozens of flares lighting up the safe zone Atlas had established, soldiers waving up at the airbus.

"We're landing in Vale," The pilot called over the intercom. "You guys are gonna be okay."

None of the huntsmen seemed to believe him.


	28. Chapter 12: Divide

**Chapter 12: Divide**

* * *

Remy buried his face into his hands, letting out a frustrated groan.

"Nothing?" Corvus asked, taking a swig from a flask.

The other faunus shook his head, tossing his Scroll to the side. "Nothing."

"Without that CCT Tower…" The Vale huntsman started.

"No way to call anyone outside the city. No way to call any of the other kingdoms. We're shit out of luck."

"…And no way to tell anyone what actually happened here."

The duo sat quietly for a few moments, before the White Wolf looked up to the taller huntsman. "No Ozpin?"

"Not a hint. Flew back around the tower- nothing. That dragon might be dead, but it's still attracting grimm by the dozens. Wasn't safe to get a closer look. The kids said that he disappeared after the blonde and Nikos went down to some sort of vault under the school. They left and he fought the woman. She came out. He didn't."

"…Did you see my brother?" The younger huntsman finally asked after a moment.

"Yeah."

"…And?"

"He… didn't look great."

Remy shook his head with a growl. "That little _idiot_."

Corvus nodded agreeingly, taking another drink. "This ain't great, White Wolf."

"No-" The Platina's eyes shot back to his new companion, hardening. "What's this about _a vault_."

The corvian faunus shook his head. "No clue. Oz had his secrets- shared a little bit with me, but not everything. This is the first time I'd heard of it."

Remyngton shook his head again, letting it fall. "I told Rainier what kind of man Ozpin was."

"Yeah…"

The duo lapsed back into silence, watching the activity unfold around them; the safe zone was abuzz- airbuses coming and going, soldiers seeing to the injured. More private crafts came and went, picking people up and whisking them, ironically, to the safety of waiting outside of the city.

The faunus looked up as what seemed to be the last transport shuttle from Beacon neared, carefully settling down, soldiers rushing to it. The ramp opened, but for a long few moments, no one stepped out, some medics instead entering.

A few seconds later, they exited, before heading back in, stretchers in hand. When they returned, they were carrying Yang and Ruby, both the girls still unconscious. Blake followed after the blonde brawler, and slowly, the rest of the huntsmen began to file out, exhausted faces covered in the soot and grime of battle, huddling close to one other.

The two veteran huntsmen shared a knowing glance, before Remy rose to his feet, marching towards the students.

He stopped short of them, giving them their space, yellow eyes meeting yellow as Rainier caught his gaze. The White Wolf looked to the side, shaking his head, swallowing hard. "Dammit, Pup." He muttered, returning to his perch on the supply crate.

Rainier stared after his brother for a long few moments, before turning back to Weiss, arms wrapped around each other. "…You should go check on Ruby," He managed to mutter. She looked back up to him, mouth moving for words for a moment, before he bowed his head, continuing. "I… I need to go find Daria…"

And Nash.

Slowly, she extricated herself from him, shakily following after her leader, holding his gaze for a moment. "…Stay close." She said quietly, mustering a small smile from the faunus.

The smile dropped the moment she turned away, Rainier looking back over his shoulder at his friends as they milled about… _lost_.

Without a word, he began to drag himself away from them, not looking once to his brother, in search of his leader.

* * *

The medic buzzed around Lance, Oracle slung over his back, piggyback style, somewhat roused to consciousness, but still loopy with exhaustion.

"Sir," The medic said, his face resolute. "I need to see to her."

"She's got aura exhaustion and her arms burn like hell. She's fine." The swordsman shot back, not budging an inch.

"That's _fine_ , but-"

"Lance…" Oracle muttered. "It's fine… I'm not goin' anywhere."

He looked over his shoulder at her for a few moments, before sighing, letting the medic take her, giving him a grateful nod, before carrying her over to the make-shift field hospital. He watched her go until the medic laid her down, the gunslinger quietly beginning to answer his questions.

The blonde huntsman sighed, combing his hair backwards, turning to his other teammates. "Ul," He said. His partner didn't even react. "Ul. Ulysses. Brotha-" He waved his hand in front of the hulking huntsman's face- and the larger teen immediately lashed out, grabbing the outstretched limb, glassy eyes shooting to Lance's own.

Ulysses stared for a disconcertingly long time, before he blinked hard, recognition flooding into his features. He released his partner's hand, shying backwards slightly. "I- I'm sorry-"

"Hey- you're fine," Lance said, holding his hands up to him. "Easy, big man. Breathe. Look around. We're safe. You're safe. You're with friends now. Easy does it."

The brooding huntsman complied, looking around at the safe zone, the tension flooding from his muscles. He stumbled backwards, falling to sit on a small crate, burying his face into his hands, taking a _deep_ shuddering breath. He sat quietly, not deigning to move.

Lance sighed, turning from his partner to his leader. "Captain. Captain. _Captain_ ," Shinai looked up, blinking himself out of his own trance. "You good?"

"I… yes."

The blonde didn't look convinced, but gestured over his shoulder to Oracle. "I'm gonna go sit with O. You _good_?"

Shinai nodded wordlessly, getting the swordsman to hesitantly turn, marching towards his friend. The samurai watched him go, before turning back to the airbus.

Jaune, Nora, and Ren slowly walked from it, the leader still shaking, clutching Pyrrha's crown tightly to his chest.

Pyrrha.

Shinai watched them pass, Ren and Nora giving him a quick, remorseful glance, their own eyes filled with tears, before ushering the blonde leader to a solitary spot, sitting him down and holding him close.

A wave of memories washed over the samurai- his and Pyrrha's first meeting, their finalist battle; his first loss. Reuniting at Beacon. Everything they had done since, every moment they had spent together. He swallowed hard, tears welling in his eyes, gripping the shards of Shi En tightly, trying to draw some semblance of strength from the remains of his beloved blade.

 _Pyrrha_.

Instead, he simply sat down next to Ulysses, the two huntsmen staring off emptily at the shuttles flying to and from Vale.

* * *

Daria jerked to attention as Rainier rounded the corner- her face fell in horror, dark eyes widening as she took in his condition. She shot to her feet and dashed towards him, holding him close in a tight hug.

He didn't return it, standing limply before her, staring passed her at Nash. The boy was laid up on a bed, sleeping, his hands wrapped heavily in cloth, form covered in multiple blankets.

Daria turned from him, following his gaze. "He's…" She sighed, taking a steadying breath. "He's alright. His hands are… they're messed up, pretty badly. But he's gonna be okay otherwise. They called his mom before the tower went down. She'll be here shortly."

"…He's leaving."

"…Everyone is," She whispered, averting her gaze. "…Just a little earlier than expected," He said nothing, getting her to take a step back, looking him over. " _Is_ _that_ _your_ -"

"No."

"Are you alright?"

His jaw trembled, pursing his lips hard. " _No._ "

"Rain… Rain, I'm so sorry, I should have-"

"I held him in my arms as he _died,_ " Rainier hissed- though, not in anger, his pent up emotions finally beginning to spill from him. "I didn't know his name, or who he was, but I saw his face- and I can't forget it. I held him in my _bloody arms_ ,"

She said nothing- simply reached out and took her hand in his. He immediately ripped his limb free, looking back and forth between his teammates. "I- I need to go think."

"Rain-" She started.

" _Please_ ," He pleaded, voice wavering. "…please."

Daria stared at him for a moment, before hesitantly nodding. The faunus didn't waste any time, turning on his heel and limping his way back through the safe zone.

* * *

Weiss rushed forwards as Rainier came back into view, slowing to a stop before him, hands placed onto his chest. " _Rain_ …" She began.

He swallowed hard as he looked down at her, face falling as the worst flashed through his mind. "What- Weiss-"

She sighed, looking over her shoulder. The faunus followed her gaze-

To a man standing tall near the edge of the safe zone. He was a middle aged man, pale, finely combed hair and bushy mustache stark white, eyes pale blue; he was dressed in an immaculate white three piece suit and shoes, a pale blue shirt under. He was staring at the two of them impatiently, pale eyes disapproving as he and the Vacuoan locked gazes.

The faunus looked back down to her, a frown finding its way to his face. "Weiss, what's…"

"I'm leaving." She said quietly.

"…Oh."

"I'm sorry," She said. "I have to go."

"…I see."

"Rain-"

"Will I see you again?" He asked, voice wavering, trying in vain to keep it steady.

"I… of course. Why wouldn't-"

"I don't know," He whispered, head falling to rest against her own. " _I don't know_."

The duo stood for a long few moments, before-

" _Weiss_ ," The man called out, voice clipped and even. "We need to _go_ if we're to make it back to Atlas in time."

She looked back over her shoulder at him, before meeting Rainier's pale yellow eyes. The heiress reached up, unclasping her necklace, bunching it up in her palm, before handing it to him. "That's a promise. I'm going to want this back,"

He hesitantly took it, swallowing hard as she slowly began to back away. She stopped, then lunged forwards, pulling him into a tight hug, giving him a deep kiss. "Be safe," She whispered as she pulled away. "I'll see you again. I promise."

She turned on her heel, walking swiftly towards her father, hugging herself- not seeming to register Rainier's jacket thrown over her shoulders still. She turned back to him on instinct, the two nobles sharing one last glance before she passed her father, marching into the brilliant white shuttle waiting behind them.

The Atlesian and Vacuoan stared off for a long few moments, their gazes mirror glances of disdain. The man turned his nose up, before following after his daughter, the ramp shutting behind him.

Rainier stood motionlessly as the craft took flight, quickly souring out towards the horizon.

He didn't move even long after it was out of sight.

"Rain," Remy said quietly. " _Rainier_."

The younger Platina turned to him, eyes watery. "What."

"It's time to go."

Rainier sucked in a hitching breath. "Rem-"

"There's nothing left for us to do," The White Wolf said quietly. "I'm leaving. This is your last chance. Please. Just come home. You don't need to stay here. Just come home."

The younger faunus stared at him for what felt like eternity, a single tear falling down his face-

And he nodded once.

Remy nodded back, striding forwards to clap a hand onto his shoulder. "We've got everything we could get from Beacon. We're good to go whenever you're ready." He walked passed his brother towards the white and gold craft waiting off to the edge of the zone, exchanging a nod with Corvus as he passed.

Rainier watched his brother go before taking in a shuddering breath.

"So that's it, huh?" Lance asked huskily, getting the faunus to turn in surprise. "You're out?"

"I…"

"Don't," The swordsman muttered, arms crossed. "Just go, man. If you need to go, just go."

"Lance-"

"Don't make this harder on either of us," Rainier stared at his friend for a moment, before bowing his head, turning. "You know, you head to Tear's Fall, that's it, right?" Lance called over, getting the Vacuoan to stop in his tracks. "Weiss is gone too. There's no way for us to find you. That's _it_. Unless you wanna take a happy skip back over here, whenever the hell they fix this place up- if that's even _possible_. It's probably _not_! You're not gonna see _any_ of us again!"

Rainier didn't raise his gaze, shoulders slumping. He wordlessly began walking forwards, leaving Lance standing alone.

When he turned the corner, Daria was already standing, staring at him with wide brown eyes, her crestfallen face telling him that she already had heard.

"…You're leaving?" She whispered, voice disbelieving.

"Daria…"

"Please. _Please_ say you're not leaving."

"…I have to."

"Why? _Why_? Why can't you stay?"

"Because _this_ ," He gestured around them, shaking his head. "This isn't what I signed up for. This isn't what I wanted."

"Rainier, _please_ ," She pleaded, stepping towards him. "I can't lose you."

" _And I can't stay_ ," He hissed. "Everything that I've worked for in my life- for this? To die here? I _told_ Ozpin, I wasn't going to fight some shadow war for him. And I won't-"

"Rain-"

"No, _listen_ to me for a moment. I told you who I was- I am not a fighter, I am not a _soldier_ \- I can't stay here, I can't do _this_ ," He went quiet for a moment. "…My father always said that Vacuo was the safest kingdom on Remnant. I'm going to see how true that is."

"This is what we came here to do!" Daria cried. "We're huntsmen! We're here to help people, to be protectors-"

"No _, you_ are here to be a protector!" He snapped, eyes going dark with anger, misplaced or not, gesturing furiously at her. "You want to know what I came here to do, _hm_? I came here to _succeed_ , to be the best damn fighter this school had ever seen. I came here to prove to my family that I was worthy of the name Platina. I didn't come here to find a new family, I didn't come here to protect people, I didn't come here to _save the world_! I am not a hero! I am a _coward_ \- when things get difficult, I _run_. _Away_ -" He leaned towards her, baring his teeth, tears welling in his eyes. "Congratulations, you have _finally_ met the _real_ Rainier Platina!"

He took a few hard steps away from her, the fight flooding from him as he leaned against a stack of crates. His leader stared at him with wide eyes, tears falling down her face silently. After a moment, he shook his head. "I'm leaving. I'm sorry, Dearest Daria."

Without another word, he stormed away, meeting his brother on the walk to their ship.

"FINE!" She screamed, charging a few feet after him out into the open. "GO! BE A COWARD! LEAVE! GO RUN BACK HOME, WITH YOUR TAIL BETWEEN YOUR LEGS! WE DON'T NEED YOU!" She glared after him, face a mix of pain and betrayal. "I HATE YOU! _I HATE YOU!_ "

Rainier stilled for a moment, his shoulders beginning to shake, his resolve crumbling around him. He began to look over his shoulder- before Remy clasped a hand onto him, squeezing comfortingly.

" _Let her go_." The elder Platina muttered quietly.

The younger faunus' head fell again-

And the brothers continued to march on.

Daria collapsed onto her knees as she watched him go, breaking down into sobs as the Platinas' ship took flight, soaring off into the dark night.

She didn't move for a long time.

* * *

Qrow leaned against the wall, staring down at Lance and Oracle with a raised brow. "So," He said quietly. "Rough night, eh?"

The blonde swordsman gave him a withering side eye. "The hell do you want?"

"Just wanted to check in on you guys. Nights like tonight are hard for guys like _me_ \- guys that've been doing this a few years," He looked over the safe zone, nodding. "For what it's worth; you kids did good. A whole helluva lot better than you probably should've done, all things considered."

"Gee, thanks," Lance muttered. "I really appreciate it. We done here?"

"It might not feel like you guys did anything worthwhile," The veteran huntsman continued on, unfazed. "And it probably feels like you guys lost, and that's fair... losing people... it never gets easier- but a lot of innocent people got out safe because of you guys. Take some solace in that, even if it's not much," He went quiet for a moment, the two huntsmen staring out over the bustling area, the crowd slowly thinning as more and more people left. "The blonde kid, the one that fought that Vegas guy, left. Got picked up by his mother. Most everyone else is gone too, at least out of the city. But you kids are still here."

Lance looked over at Oracle, shaking his head. "…I don't have anywhere else to go, really. Dunno about her, but she's out like a light. No one's come to collect, yet," He peered passed Qrow, to where Shinai and Ulysses were still sitting. "Don't think they've got anywhere to go either."

The Vale huntsman nodded, staring off in the distance, mulling a thought over. After a moment, he gave his younger counterpart a heavy sigh, looking back over to him. "Well… I suppose… Tai wouldn't mind a few guests for a couple days. Least till you guys figure somethin' else out."

"…What?" Lance asked, eyebrows furrowing.

Qrow gestured towards the field hospital with his head. "I'm takin' the girls back to Patch here soon as they get cleared. Rest of you kids are free to come with, bunker down for a while. Just a thought."

The swordsman turned to his unconscious friend for a moment- before nodding. "...Aight… I'll go check with the others."

"Alright. We'll leave here in a few. Come find me when you're ready."

"Hey, Branwen," Lance said quietly, head bowed. "…Thanks."

The old huntsman smirked. "Don't mention, kid. You did good tonight." He stalked off towards his nieces, hands buried in his pockets.

"Blake's gone too."

Lance looked up as Sun approached, the faunus' tanned face resigned. "…She is? _Seriously_?"

"Took off not long after we got here."

"Well. That's shitty."

"Yeah."

"…And?"

"Oh, just lettin' you know I'm going' after her."

"… _Seriously_?" The Vale warrior asked, blinking.

"Yeah," Sun shrugged. "My guess? White Fang just cut her best friend's arm off. She's probably off to go get revenge, and what kinda friend would I be if I let her go off on her own?"

"A pretty shitty friend," Lance rose to his feet, and the two huntsman embraced. "Keep her safe, alright? And stay safe yourself. You guys are good people, and I'd hate to have to come kick your ass, aight?"

"That, I actually can do. Catch you on the flip side, Zaffre."

The faunus leapt over the swordsman, bounding off into the night.

Lance watched him go for a moment, before turning down to Oracle. "Alright, cowgirl. Let's get you out of here."

* * *

"Thanks for lettin' them shack up for a few days." Qrow said, leaning against the counter. The kitchen was fairly well sized, its walls and floor warm in color- red trees swaying lightly in the breeze outside, sky a vibrant blue with the fading of autumn.

"No problem. These kids could catch a break right now," Tai shot back, leaning against the island across from the huntsman.

Taiyang Xiao Long was a touch shorter than the other man, but stockier, skin suntanned dark, paling yellow hair messy around his head, stubble and a soul patch spreading across his jawline. He was dressed in a short brown vest over a tan dress shirt, fingerless gloves cladding his hands, cargo shorts and sneakers covering his legs; a red bandana was wrapped around his left bicep, his right one printed with a dark tattoo of a stylized heart.

"Besides," He continued. "Friends of my girls are more than welcome."

Qrow nodded, placing his flask onto the countertop. "Couple of them, though… that big guy's got that glassy look. I'm worried about him."

"It'll take a couple days," Tai said. "Those kids shouldn't have had to go through what they did."

"…Yeah… but I've got the feeling that it's not over."

"You too?"

"Call it that STRQ instinct."

The two old teammates turned to the doorway to the kitchen, warm light bathing the room as the sun continued to rise.

"...I guess." Tai muttered

"Whatever you want to call it… this mess is just beginning. Things are gonna get a whole _helluva_ lot worse before they start getting better."

The blonde teacher said with a sigh. "You think they're gonna keep going?"

"You kidding?" Qrow snorted. "Those kids stayed at Beacon until we had to drag them kickin' and screaming back to Vale. Give them some time to figure out what they're fighting for. They'll get back up."

"I hope you're right."

* * *

Oracle flipped through the TV's channels boredly- some buzzing with white noise, others landing on old reruns and talk shows. Finally, she simply turned it off, tossing the remote away. She turned to Lance, the swordsman sitting next to her, looking at his Scroll with a frown. "You seen Daria today?"

"No," He muttered back. "She hasn't left the guest room."

"Should…" She trailed off with a sigh, gaze falling.

"I don't know. I don't know. She needs some time, I think."

The gunslinger nodded slightly, before turning her gaze to the ceiling. "…I'm gonna go check on Ulysses."

"…Aight… just be easy on him."

* * *

The door to the attic slowly opened with a creak, light shining in to bathe the dark room. On the other side, sitting against the wall, Ulysses blinked slowly, gaze not rising from the floor.

"…Ul?" Oracle asked, stepping in. "Big man?"

" _Go_." The giant muttered lowly, still unmoving.

"Ul- it's just me."

"No. It's not."

The gunslinger blinked, mouth falling. She swallowed hard, turning to leave her teammate be. She stopped, turning over her shoulder slightly. "…There's food downstairs if you want any."

He said nothing for a long moment. Oracle sighed, stepping out of the room, softly closing the door behind her.

" _Look at you_ ," A deep, gravelly voice muttered disdainfully. Ulysses looked up- as a man stepped out of the shadows. He was pale, eyes lined in thick, dark rings; a thick, bushy beard covering most of the bottom half of his face. The man was hulking, standing well over seven feet, frame wider than even the huntsman himself. He was dressed simply in a loose, beige shirt, baggy cargo pants tucked into work boots. "A year ago, you would have torn her to _shreds_."

"You're not real." Ulysses muttered, turning his gaze away from the man.

He was to the huntsman's side in a heartbeat, hand grasping the smaller man's wrist, holding it high, a furious snarl crossing his face. "Does this not feel real?!" He spat. "Do I not feel _real_?! As far as it matters to you, _boy_ , I am _very_ real."

He threw the huntsman's captured hand back to him, and when Ulysses looked up, the man was gone.

The brooding teen let loose a frustrated growl, burying his face into his hands, gripping his hair in two white knuckled fists, stifling a scream.

* * *

Daria stared out of the window idly, watching leaves fall from the trees, covering the grass in gold and red. Tears welled in her eyes for a moment, before she grit her teeth, blinking them away.

"Daria?" Gail asked quietly.

The leader turned over her shoulder to the archer in the doorway. "…Hey, Gail."

The taller huntress slowly walked in, hands folded in front of her. "H… how are you?"

"… I'm tired."

"Me too."

The girls stared at each other for a few moments- before Gail's face twisted into a mask of misery, falling to her knees and burying her face into Daria's sheets. The short leader jolted in shock from the sudden collapse, holding her hands out to her friend. "G-"

"They're gone," The archer managed to sob out, pulling her leader into a hug. "Nash, Rainier, _Pyrrha_ \- they're all gone."

"…Gail-"

"-I can't have anything good," She continued on through her tears. "I find you guys, and you're so _good_ , and you loved me for _me_ , no matter what- and I find a home, where I belong, and it's _taken_ from me- and so many people are gone, or hurting and there's _nothing I can do_ …"

Daria returned the hug, pulling her friend close to her. "…You've got me."

The archer nodded against her leader, not able to quell the waves of emotion washing over her. The two remaining members of DRGN sat for a long while, Daria soothingly clutching Gail tightly.

"You've got me."

* * *

Shinai stared at the leaves falling around him, exhausted purple eyes idly tracing their trajectories to the grass below. After a while, his gaze drifted to Shi En laying before him.

The two shining halves of the blade stared back up at him, his reflection starkly obvious in the steel. The samurai swallowed hard, raising his gauntlet into the air-

And the blade stayed motionless.

His shoulders slumped, head falling to rest against his chest, a breath he didn't know he'd been holding spilling out from his lips. Slowly, he reached up, unclasping the gauntlet from his arm, letting it fall limply to the ground beside him.

He turned his gaze to the sky. "Why?" He asked quietly, husky voice pleading. "Give me an answer. Give me _something_." There was no answer; simply the rushing of wind around him, autumn leaves trailing beside him, before coming to rest onto the ground.

The samurai stared around him for a while longer, finally rising to his feet, the steel blades clutched tightly in hand, as he marched back to the house.

* * *

"Yang's up." Oracle said quietly, cheeks stained with tears. Lance turned to her, blue eyes widening.

"Gods, O- you alright?"

The gunslinger stared off into space for a moment, before slowly shaking her head. "…No. No, I don' think so."

He watched her carefully, picking his words carefully. "…Or-"

"It's all shit, ain't it?" She asked, chuckling weakly, drawling dialect deepening. "Everythin's gone to shit."

"…Yeah," The swordsman muttered. "Is she okay-"

"Nah. Nah, she's not. She's not at all."

Lance sat for a moment, before shaking his head. "…O… you got anywhere to go?"

She sniffed hard, a small smile on her face. "Maybe. Dunno if they'd 'ave me back. Hell if I care right now."

"Aight… just checkin'."

"What about you? Think your step-"

"No," He bowed his head. "No, I think that bridge is pretty burned to shit by now."

"Just a couple of kids with nowhere to get, eh?"

He managed a small smile of his own. "Heh… yeah. Guess we are."

* * *

Ruby shakily stumbled from her room, the windows outside dark, pale moonlight shining in. She swallowed hard, leaning against the wall for support.

"Hey, Rubes." Lance said quietly. Her gaze shot to the side, to where the swordsman was sitting on a windowsill, idly tossing an apple into the air, before catching it. He didn't turn to her at all, peering out to the dark night outside.

"Lance," She said quietly, stopping in her tracks. "I'm-"

"It's been _three days_. You're awake," He shot back. "That's all I care about."

She swallowed again, silver eyes softening as she stared at the crestfallen swordsman. "…Well… kinda awake."

He snorted, catching the apple and freezing in place. "…Rain's gone. Nash's gone; Blake, Weiss. They went home. Everyone else did too. Just us."

"…I know."

"Your fam catch you up?"

"Yeah."

He turned back to her, blue eyes ringed in red, dark bags hanging under them, face flat with exhaustion. "Sorry, Rubes."

"What?" Her eyes widened. "Sorry about-"

"Pyrrha."

"…Oh."

He bowed his head. "I shoulda went up there. I shoulda been faster. We shoulda figured this shit out before-"

"It's not your fault," The former leader of RWBY said softly. "It's not anyone's fault."

Lance's eyes hardened as he stared at the floor. "…If it's not our fault, it's _someone's_. They're still out there somewhere."

"…What are you going to do?"

"…I… I don't know. I'll figure it out," He hopped from the ledge, marching away from the girl. "Night, Rubes."

* * *

Daria stared down at her bag, filled with whatever clothes she'd recovered (and hand-me-downs Ruby and Yang couldn't wear anymore). She shook her head, face filled with resignation, as she rose to her feet.

"You're out of here, then? Qrow asked, leaning against the door frame.

She jolted at the huntsman's sudden appearance, before sighing. "…I've... I've taken up your guys' hospitality long enough. I… my parents are probably worried about me."

"So, you're just gonna… run home to mom and dad?"

The former leader of DRGN's eyes shot up to him, alight with fury. "As opposed to _what_?"

The veteran huntsman looked over his shoulder for a moment, before stepping in, satisfied the coast was clear. He shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugging. "Your parents can't yell at me if I tell you, so I might as well; these people, the ones who attacked Beacon? They're still out there, and they're not done."

"What…" Daria looked away, frowning. "You know who did this?"

"We don't have a lot of names, but we do know that it's a large group, and we know what they're doing," At her inquisitive look, he nodded. "Dividing the four kingdoms. It'll be easier to… do whatever it is they want to do next if they don't have to worry about all of Remnant's wrath comin' down onto them."

"So… what are you-"

"We know that they're heading to Mistral next. But we know that something's brewing in Vacuo. After that, it'll be Atlas. And when they're done… there's not gonna be anywhere else to run to."

"You're saying-"

"-That you can run home if you want. No one's gonna stop ya. No one's gonna fault ya. But there's still a war to be fought, and Remnant's still in danger. I'm not gonna tell ya to go fight these guys; but I'm gonna tell ya that we need ya."

Daria went silent, staring down at her belongings.

She didn't answer for several minutes.

"No need to make this decision right-" He started, turning away from her.

Her eyes hardened, a scowl crossing her face. She looked back up to Qrow, dark irises burning with renewed fire. "- _What's the fastest way to Shade Academy_."

A small smirk crossed his face. "Thatta girl."

* * *

Oracle knocked on the door, staring into the spacious room, Yang's back turned to her. "…Hey, Yang."

"Oracle." The blonde muttered.

The gunslinger's gaze drifted to the brawler's right arm, her face falling slightly. She swallowed hard. "…We're leavin'."

"Fine."

"We're headed to Vacuo."

" _Fine_."

Oracle stared at her old friend for a long few moments, before sighing, turning to leave. "…See ya, bimbo."

Yang didn't even flinch.

* * *

Daria looked up as Oracle exited the house, her backpack shouldered, face crestfallen. The gunslinger slowly closed the door behind her, emerald eyes meeting brown. The two huntresses exchanged small nods.

"Be safe, you guys." Ruby said quietly, stepping forwards.

The former leader of DRGN gave her a small smile. "Course. What kinda friends would we be if we didn't?"

The two girls embraced. "Really crummy ones."

"What are you gonna do?" Daria asked, taking a step back.

"I… I don't know," Ruby sighed. "But… Uncle Qrow… mentioned that Haven might be in danger. If… there's a chance we could help, then-"

"We're marchin' all the way across Sanus," Oracle said, tipping her hat back. "I figure you could figure how to get over to Anima… with some friends, of course."

"I…" The shorter huntress' silver eyes lit up. "Yeah. You're right."

They looked around them- at Gail, Shinai, Ulysses- before the diminutive huntress sighed. "You guys ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be." Lance nodded, blue eyes hard.

"Alright. Let's go then."

The six huntsmen turned from the house, beginning their march westward- to the warm deserts of Vacuo beyond. Ruby stood at the door until they were long gone, waving goodbye to her friends.

Her head held high, she turned and resolutely reentered her home, face set with determination.

* * *

 _"A smaller, more honest soul… it's true that a simple spark can ignite hope, breathe fire into the hearts of the weary. The ability to derive strength from hope is undoubtedly mankind's greatest attribute. Which is why I will focus all of my power… to snuff it out._ _How does it feel, knowing that all of your time and effort has been for nothing? That your guardians have failed you? That everything you've built will be torn down before your very eyes? Your faith in mankind was not misplaced. When banded together, unified by a common enemy, they are a noticeable threat. But divide them, place doubt into their minds, and any semblance of power they once had will wash away,"_

Nash slowly sat down onto the old bed, the springs squeaking obnoxiously as he put his full weight down. Slowly, he raised his hands up- one halved, the other removed entirely. His face screwed up in agony again, stuffing the offending limbs back into his pockets.

* * *

" _Of course, they won't realize it at first. Like you, they'll cling to their fleeting hope, their aspirations. But this is merely the first move,"_

Rainier stared out of the window, blank yellow eyes watching as the landscape raced by; the last remnants of green disappearing, great dunes of sand beginning to rise from the ground. Remy turned over his shoulder slightly to his brother, face twisting in concern, before turning his gaze back forwards.

* * *

The Queen stared forwards unblinkingly, hands placed on the balcony's bannister before her- she was stark white, jagged red lines lining her flesh, pale skin matching her hair pulled into an intricate bun, dressed in a flowing, loose, black robe. She looked out from her keep to the barren landscape beyond; its rocks and soil dyed a deep red-purple, the sky glittering in a similar unnatural dark purple, moon an ominous pale red.

"This is the beginning of the end, Ozpin," Salem said, black and red eyes going hard as she stared out at the horizon. "And I can't wait to watch you burn."

* * *

 **-Volume 3-**

* * *

 **A/N (It's a lengthy one, so** _ **strap in**_ **~!):**

 **Sobbing.**

 **Absolutely crushed.**

 **Volume 3, nearly a year later, is finished.**

 **The Beacon Arc, nearly three years later, is finished.**

 **I feel empty.**

 **Thank you guys all for sticking with this, this long. If you've managed to get invested in this labor of love of mine long enough to get here, you're the best, and my favorite. You. Yes you. Thank you. I've poured so much damn time, effort, and, well,** _ **love**_ **into this and I'm proud of my little studmuffin. If I made any of you laugh, smile, coo, maybe cry, or get absolutely furious (like my partner (in writing) did over the last couple of chapters), then I've done my job, and nothing feels better than that.**

 **That's enough of that, though- onto more important matters;**

 **The future of Dragon Soul.**

 **Yes, we aren't done yet! I'm of course going to do the rest of the series, you kiddin' me? This story dies when RWBY does or I just stop writing altogether.**

 **I doubt either of those'll happen in any of our lifetimes, tbh.**

 **Nevertheless, I'm going to be taking a break. Yes, another one. This one, though, I've been planning for a couple of months, rather than, y'know, the impromptu-noggin recovery arc I did in January.**

 **Anyways- see, the first three volumes were easy. I just needed to follow the narrative of RWBY, and, magic! However- shit gets real from this point on. I have to more or less create my own narrative for the next X amount of volumes as DGSOUL go adventuring in the wastelands.**

 **So, I'm taking a bit of a break. Nothing more than a couple weeks; just long enough that I can finish writing the outlines for the next few volumes, and have a good grasp on them before I jump back in.**

 **In the meanwhile, while we're all waiting for Volume 4, I'm going to be starting a new story! "Stories of Dragons and Souls"; it's going to be an anthology/one-shot series that'll give me a chance to explore a lot of the things that I didn't get the chance to do. Filler, really. Alongside that, I'll be doing eight Trailers for each of the main characters, a handful of Character Shorts, and, of course, more fluffy, filler, short stories. Keep an eye out for that, as that'll be coming fairly decently soon.**

 **Again, thank you all so much for reading. I'm really heartbroken that the Beacon Arc is over, but also kinda relieved that I finally finished it. I've had a helluva time with it, and I hope you have too.**

 **But we go forward; we must keep moving on.**

 **I'll see you guys in Volume 4.**

 **Love y'all,  
Cheers,  
Infernokota**

 **(Yes, I'll cut this down when we return, for those of you who are sticklers about long author's notes).**


	29. Update

Okay! Third time writing this!

Ahem, bloody FFN...

How goes it, my friends. I'm here for a real quick update on the state of DRGN SOUL. No, this story isn't dead.

Far from it, actually; I've been working on the notes and outlines for Volumes 4, 5, and 6 for the last... Jesus, five months?

Yeah, five months. Anyways, all three are done! I'm finally ready to start working on the next arc!

Buuut, no new chapters yet.

Before I start on Volume 4, I'm actually going to be revisiting Volume 1. Yes, again. After meeting with a much more talented novelist than myself, and taking some time to reflect on the Beacon Arc as a whole, I've found the inspiration- and motivation- to rewrite, restructure, and ultimately rebuild the first volume from the ground up. The biggest change that'll be coming from that will be five more chapters tacked on. I've a lot of stuff I want to do with what's essentially the introductory season/book that I didn't before, and I think it'll be really, really cool.

All ten chapters'll go up at the same time, so that'll still be a couple of weeks out while I finish the outline for the new volume 1 and, y'know, actually write it.

Beside that, I do think that this'll be a much more dramatic change to the Volume than the last time I rewrote it, enough so to warrant rereading it, but you're not beholden to that. I'm not gonna yell at anyone for not going back. Just take that as you will, and if there's any references to different events than you remember, that's just how it goes.

I'm also going to go through the story and clean up some stuff before we move onto Volume 4. Cutting out scenes that serve no purpose, making some dialogue sound like it wasn't written by Joss Whedon or whoever wrote the screenplay to Aquaman. You know; the works.

Also, also, hopefully now that I'm done with the outlines for the next few volumes, I can go and bust out the rest of the character trailers and maybe even get some shorts done, which shouldn't take long at all. We'll see. Watch out for Stories of 'Dragons and Souls' if you're into that kinda side stuff.

Then it's onto Volume 4, baybay!

(Don't worry, I'll take this down once I've started on Volume 4)

Anways, I think that's everything from me.

Love you all,  
Don't forget to Be Excellent to Each Other,  
See you guys back at the beginning,  
-Infernokota


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